#mention of soren

[firedragon1321]

Big rant about my Capsule Zaurus stuff below. Mostly about fanworks, copyright, concept art, and how I use copyrighted material in my stuff.

Before I start the rant- I want to mention that I put a lot of links in here. A few go to my artwork. But most provide extra info and clarification. Some of it is because Capsule Zaurus is a pretty overlooked prototype to Digimon, so not all Digi-fans know what it is. Some of it is because I have been in fandom a long time and I lost track of when people stopped using squick and I don't know what the kids use these days. Feel free to click a link if you're confused about anything.

I want to return to my Capsule Zaurus project because Tomoya (the character in the header) is doing that "character wants attention and occupies your thoughts" thing. I really don't want to focus on fanfic right now (mostly because I'm drowning in WIPs). But I don't know if the project counts as original fic, or to what extent.

For the uninitiated, here is a brief timeline of Capsule Zaurus from conception to today.

Bandai draws concept art for a virtual pet game for boys in 1997

Doesn't use it because it's too similar to Pokemon

Puts it in a drawer

Does NOTHING until 2013

Puts it in an artbook

NEVER mentions it again

Fandom posts translations and then sleeps (you can read all the info in the first two links)

I learn about it almost a year ago at an anime con and get inspired

I draw all this stuff- including some redesigns, but also original Zaurus and human characters

I come up with this batshit insane plot and world to go with the concept art

I find myself in a tangle of mostly original ideas, with vestigial but clear connections to Bandai's work

I'm not sure if it should just go to Ao3 or if I should rework my elements and characters into something else

Bandai's Capsule Zaurus isn't a finalized work. It is concept art. I'm a raccoon digging through the trash and taking things Bandai doesn't even want. But chances are they still hold the copyright for it. Not to mention the name likely comes from Pocket Zaurus, which is published and certainly copyrighted.

Putting the work on Ao3 would be extremely tricky, too. It would have to be tagged as Capsule Zaurus- which is not a fandom at the moment- plus Digimon, plus Original Work. This obtuse collection of fandom tags would likely be confusing, and I doubt anyone would read it.

It doesn't help that the story is T at mildest and M at highest. I don't write E-rated content. But that's what people want over there. I've noticed some authors who write both get a lot more hits on their sexy stuff over their tame or gen work, and good gen writers often go ignored.

So if I don't want my story to rot on Ao3, I'd probably have to remove the Zaurus characters entirely and make it original. This seems counterproductive. But it's the more likely route I'd go to preserve my original stuff. I don't want to do that, since I love Digimon and I like the "what could have been" nature of the concept art. But I really hate filing the serial numbers off of shit without acknowledging it as parody/mentioning the creators which...this isn't.

Below are two examples of me acknowledging parody and playing with copyright. Keep in mind I cut my teeth on 2007-era fanfiction, so people were constantly writing "I do not own this" on their shit.

For my Toon-iverse Saga, I have a Character Who's a Lot Like Tai (Soren, actually- it's more obvious in his backstory). But the back of the book credits Bandai/Toei/everyone I can possibly think of. The books are made of characters like this, and calls back to the source material while doing something unique. You don't need to know the original material to understand the plot, though doing so helps if you're looking for Easter Eggs.

Then, there's Zunru, which is a love letter to and critique of Pokemon. You don't need an in-depth knowledge of Pokemon to understand it (though as with the Toon-iverse Saga, it helps with Easter Egg hunting). The first few chapters even seem like "we live in harmony with these wonderful creatures!". But then the charade falls away, and the story reveals itself to be its own animal. At the end of each of these books, there is a credit to "Satoshi Tajiri, GameFreak, and Associated Parties", indicating that this is parody, I acknowledge the original but this is my own thing, etc., etc. Which is more than Temtem/Palworld did, but that's another story.

These are both instance of fair use, with possibly too much butt-covering spurred on by my fanfiction dot net heritage. They aren't like, say, writing a Twilight fanfiction, changing only the names, publishing it, and deleting the evidence. Which I feel trying to publish Capsule Zaurus as it is right now is pretty close to.

I just don't know what to do for Capsule Zaurus. I don't want to focus on fanfiction right now. But Tomoya is screaming against my skull and banging pots and pans. I'm sure I'll find the solution. It might be as simple as changing a few designs a bit more to make them more unique and not using the word "Zaurus". But that's still filing off the serial numbers.

Dammit, Tomoya.

[stuck-in-jelly]

Corvus knowing

[youruinedmylifebynotbeingreal]

Something about Soren not being able to initially believe that Terry is complimenting him breaks me.

We don’t see him get compliments too often in the show. Especially in Arc 1, he’s belittled by Viren more often than not. Yes, he acts cocky and confident. He knows he’s super strong and great at most tasks associated with being a Crownguard (whether he thinks he’s actually a good Crownguard is a whole other mini essay, but I digress). But that’s all more like a task, something easily measured objectively. And it’s something totally different to be told that you’re good at those things by the people around you, or to be complimented on other things about yourself.

The biggest instances I can think of include:

Corvus calling Soren the mastermind of the plan to get Ezran out of Katolis. Soren immediately makes a joke out of it.

Ezran: you’re the best Crownguard a king could ask for. *hugs him* Soren: *cue shocked silence, followed by literally running away from the situation*

Everybody laughing at his comedy routine (not exactly a direct compliment, but similar in nature in my opinion). He actually accepts this pretty well, but it’s also something he’s been rehearsing and is proud of and is expecting a good reaction to. He even says thank you to the crowd.

“Well, if your sword is as sharp as your wit, then the young king is in good hands.” “Wow, but, thank you. Uh, dragons are SO nice.” He gets super sheepish about this and then in turn compliments dragons. One of the few times he’s okay at accepting a compliment, yet he still turns it around to make it about others.

“Soren, you’re amazing!” “Smort Longpocket is amazing.” Deflecting. Enough said.

“A good man with a big heart.” He gets so overwhelmed he can’t even verbally respond and just has to hug Corvus.

And now. The big/most complicated/messiest one. Viren in season 6. “Oh, you’ve grown so much. You’re so strong, so true to your heart. Your good heart. Somehow… you found the right path, in spite of everything I’ve done. I’m so proud of you.” “What are you trying to do?… Stop it! Just - just stop it! I know who you are. You’re dangerous. Everything you’re telling me is… is some kind of lie! And I’m not going to let you manipulate me again!” “It isn’t a lie, son, please.” There is so much to unpack here, but I want to focus on two big things: Viren compliments both his heart (aka Corvus’s compliment) and his strength (aka Terry’s future compliment). Soren’s gut instinct is to believe that Viren is lying. No deflecting, no avoiding the compliment. Straight up accusing him of more manipulation. Which is completely fair, when that’s all he’s ever known from Viren. So what does that mean for Corvus’s compliment, when it so closely echoes something Viren says? Was he lying, too? But it’s Corvus. He would never. So, of course, this would lead to some Big Feelings Time. (We Were Born the in the Valley/ Of the Dead and the Wicked on AO3 delves into this topic a bit and I think about it SO often. Of course, season 7 adds even more to the idea.)

*If there are other examples please remind me! I’d love to work them into my thoughts.*

Anyway, back to my point. He doesn’t seem to accept compliments very well and doesn’t know how to react to them a lot of the time. From resorting to physical affection, making a joke, or deflecting the compliment, Soren just does not seem to know how to handle people being nice to him. Because, ya know, childhood trauma and a father that was emotionally abusive. He’s used to lies and manipulation and any “compliments” having an ulterior motive.

So here comes Terry. Someone who has also been a bad guy. Who is trying to reform. Soren sees a lot of himself in him (peep the whole speech about abandoning Claudia).

And… he’s nice? And kind? And doesn’t seem evil? But of course, Soren is apprehensive and expects the worst, unsure if people can truly change.

“No, I don’t trust him. Nobody is this charming and, and nice. Nuh-uh.”

This is both an insult and a compliment, yet Terry just takes it in stride, not even hesitating:

“Thanks! You seem great too. Very strong and very, uh, loyal.”

A compliment for Soren? Echoing something Viren said? Oh, that must mean it’s manipulation.

“Ah-ah, I know this trick. You’re just buttering me up.”

I’m pretty sure the last time “buttering something up” was mentioned in canon was likely season 2 (if I’m wrong please somebody correct me), when Soren and Claudia are attempting to get Callum and Ezran back to Katolis. And it includes Soren straight up lying to them. “I know this trick” because he recognizes it, he was raised with it, he has used it before.

Now, we never see Soren’s eyes shift. But in the background he’s sure to see Corvus looking at him encouragingly. Corvus, who somehow has so much hope even in the darkest of times and believes in the best of everyone. Who knows people can change for the better because he’s seen it happen. With Soren. (@stuck-in-jelly made a GREAT post about Corvus and his optimism the other day. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it and it inspired this bit of analysis.)

“But thank you. I kind of needed to hear that today.”

Soren relents. He accepts the compliment. He admits that he needs support, which we know is difficult for him. After he says thank you, the screen cuts to Corvus looking at Soren like he puts the stars in the sky every night.

I like to think that Corvus helped him talk through some of those thoughts and struggles he had after his conversations with Viren. We know they share a lot with each other.

Overall, throughout the series Soren has not been great at receiving compliments. But it seems like he’s got people around him trying to help him see how great he genuinely is. Hopefully in Arc 3 Soren gets ALL OF THE COMPLIMENTS and actually believes them, too.

[venice-1987]

Soren deserves to have a little breakdown in season 7. As a treat.

[sp3c-t3r]

I saw someone mention this and thought I’d make it

So I give you Corvus in a wedding dress

[eroguron0nsense]

Soren and Rajaion

I think sometimes about how Soren's entire identity and all of his insecurities stem from being abandoned and unwanted, and while that's generally associated with his subaltern branded status and the violent oppression that comes along with it/need for secrecy and consequent self hatred, there's also a lot to be said about how he fixates on the constant cruelty and denial of his childhood; in his B support, he expresses some envy over Ike having had loving parents, and repeatedly mentions how the people who raised him either resented having him or kept him around solely because of the false impression he was a spirit charmer rather than any kind of actual affection. His entire life up until he meets Ike is one of rejection and lovelessness, and he preemptively pushes anyone else away and keeps himself distant from anyone else at LEAST until the end of RD. We see him healing through his and Ike's friendship/love, him trying to come to terms with himself and opening up to people to some extent, and quite possibly trying to confront the violent internalized racism and rejection his life has been defined by, but he's still in many ways figuring himself as someone fundamentally unacceptable in his society and who's only able to trust a tiny number or arguably one single person with that identity, which is–unfortunately–true. There are a great many people in PoR/RD who would find him fundamentally unloveable and unacceptable if they clocked him and his very existence opens him up to anything from severe marginalization/exclusion to straight-up "honour killings". Ike isn't just the first friend and (arguably) the only friend Soren's ever had, he's the first person who hasn't immediately considered Soren unloveable and who continues to love him while affirming that the identity he's most ashamed of isn't going to put him in danger of yet another violent rejection

This makes it all the more heartbreaking when we realize that Soren was loved–deeply, in fact–by a family member, who willingly sacrificed his life and personhood in an uncertain bargain with Ashnard to save his infant nephew. Soren's life, which up until this point is regarded as entirely loveless, was regarded as precious enough by Rajaion so that he was willing not only to die for, but to subject himself to unspeakable torture and degradation, and his continued existence was only possible at all due to love and sacrifice that Soren himself will never know about, or realize that people found him worthy of

[themintman]

N e ways here's Jack's actual design for the au I posted about the other day lmao

Love this sorrowful lizard.

[sofieartz]

[ AFK Journey ]

Can't you already guess that I'm doing this for all the Chosen ones?

Because I am.

Btw, I love Soren and Alsa so much they're my children now.

[climbdraws]

finished the dragon prince and man the last episode stardust hit so hard aaravos I get it now

[raayllum]

No matter where you are on the path, no matter what you've done before, every step forward is a choice.

[ghostly-schematics]

[youruinedmylifebynotbeingreal]

All the Pieces Fall Right Into Place

AO3

Summary: Corvus had it all planned out:

Step 1: Romantic Scavenger Hunt, bringing Soren to all the places most special to the two of them.

Step 2: Romantic Candlelit Dinner with Soren’s favorite foods.

Step 3: Confess/tell Soren that they had feelings for each other.

It was Step 3 that terrified Corvus.

Note: Happy Valentine's Day!!

I'd been wanting to write something for Sorvus for Valentine's Day and could NOT think of anything that made me actually want to write. Until that podcast dropped last week and we were presented with the idea of Corvus being 110% aware of he and Soren's feelings for each other.

This doesn't really fit anywhere in the canon timeline super well, so just imagine that season 6 takes place during a longer amount of time to make this feasible, haha.

I also did not have the mental capacity to come up with an actual in universe version of Valentine's Day, so it is just Unspecified Day About Love Day in Katolis.

…

It had been… years. Corvus had been waiting on Soren to figure out his feelings for years, and it hadn’t happened yet.

So, he was going to do something about that. Corvus was finally going to officially (no other possible meaning to the sentence, like Soren confusing like like for just like) confess his feelings to Soren. And what better day than the day meant to celebrate love across Katolis?

Corvus had it all planned out:

Step 1: Romantic Scavenger Hunt, bringing Soren to all the places most special to the two of them. The kitchens, where Soren insisted on helping Corvus bake for birthdays. The training grounds in the courtyard, where they’d done most of their bonding. The music room, where Corvus often played or practiced his cello when he didn’t mind an audience - Soren almost always popped in for a few minutes and always cheered the loudest. The library, where they’d first met as kids. The rampart where Soren asked Corvus to be on the Crownguard. And finally, the hollow tree by the sea that Soren had immediately wanted to show him as soon as Soren remembered how much Corvus loved trees.

Step 2: Romantic Candlelit Dinner with Soren’s favorite foods - yes, including salad and jelly tarts.

Step 3: Confess/tell Soren that they had feelings for each other.

It was Step 3 that terrified Corvus.

Corvus was pretty sure Soren did have feelings for him. Almost positive. Everybody asked them how long they’d been together, and when Corvus said they were just friends, people were always shocked, saying they acted and bickered like an old married couple.

And Soren always looked kind of sad when Corvus said “just friends.”

That made Corvus’s heart melt without fail.

He felt the spark. He’d seen it.

Unfortunately, Soren didn’t seem to. Even though Soren was more affectionate with Corvus than… well, almost anyone else.

Corvus had tried to tell Soren how he felt a few times, and each had ended in disaster. In Corvus’s opinion, at least. Half the time he couldn’t even get the words out. And Soren was none the wiser to Corvus’s internal meltdown and unending fluster each time.

The last time Corvus tried, he felt like he got the closest to breaking through.

Corvus and Soren were cooling off from training underneath the tree in the courtyard, passing a water bottle back and forth as they leaned. Corvus had been working up the courage all day to tell Soren how he felt. He’d just beaten Soren at sparring; certainly he could do this, too.

“Soren…”

“Hmmm?”

Corvus took a deep breath and faced his friend. “Soren, I like you.”

Soren grinned. “Aw, I like you too, Corvus!”

Corvus looked down with a huff. “No, Soren, you don’t understand -”

Then he made the mistake of looking up and into Soren’s eyes. The clear sky brought out the bright blue of Soren’s eyes. The smile on Soren’s face made his eyes twinkle.

“You okay there, Corv?” Soren asked with a playful tilt of his head, taking advantage of Corvus’s distraction to use a nickname.

Corvus realized he’d been staring. He couldn’t even find it in himself to be mad about the nickname. Oh dear, he thought.

He cleared his throat. “Uhm, yeah, sorry. Guess I just - uh - zoned out there for a minute.”

“Do you remember what you were saying? Something I didn’t understand?”

“I… never mind.”

“Forgot what you were gonna say?” Soren clapped a hand against Corvus’s back with a laugh. Corvus choked on his water. “No worries, man, that happens to me all the time! If you remember, just let me know.”

Corvus nodded, looking away.

Well, you could say that Corvus finally remembered what he wanted to say. And he wasn’t going to back out this time.

…

Soren walked down the hallway, whistling. He loved today because he loved love. It was beautiful, seeing all the different types and expressions of love around the castle. Barius had made the council jelly tarts in the shape of hearts - somehow, they tasted even better than a regular one!

Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder and spun around.

“King Ezran! How can I help you, my good sir?” Soren joked with a dramatic bow.

Ezran grinned, bouncing on his toes. “I’ve actually got a bit of an… errand for you today, if you’re not busy.”

“Yeah, Opeli changed the schedule last minute so I’m free to do whatever you need.” Soren had hoped to hang out with Corvus, but he hadn’t been able to find him yet. Soren wondered if Corvus had plans with… someone else. The thought made his heart ache for a strange reason. But Corvus had never mentioned seeing somebody. Not that it was any of Soren’s business, even though they were friends. Best friends. Plus, it’s not like he had to report everything back to Soren. Even if Soren was his boss -

“Soren? Hellooo?” Ezran waved his hand in front of Soren’s face.

“Oh! Sorry. What were you saying?”

Ezran held out an envelope that Callum had decorated. It had hearts and flowers and - an intertwined chain and sword? Weird, but okay. Soren thought. “Open this.”

Soren flipped open the envelope and pulled out the piece of paper. He recognized the neat handwriting immediately. Corvus.

Soren swore his heart skipped a beat.

Your first stop is a bit of a treat. Go to the place where you like to make something to eat.

He looked up. “Ezran, what is this?”

“Like I said, it’s like an errand. But really, it’s more of a scavenger hunt. Okay thanks love you bye!” Ezran was pretty sure he’d cave and tell Soren the whole plan in excitement if he didn’t get out of there, so he ran off, not allowing Soren to question him any further.

Soren shrugged and made his way to the kitchens. Ezran was a unique king; it wasn’t Soren’s place to question him.

In the kitchens he found another clue nestled in a tray of those special heart shaped jelly tarts. He snacked on one as he read the next clue.

You usually manage to best me, but any anger shown is in jest. Find the spot where our weapons often clash.

The training courtyard. The card was hidden in a branch of the tree. Soren had to climb up using skills Corvus taught him.

The next clue can be found in the room where instruments make beautiful sounds.

The music room. Soren found the card resting against Corvus’s cello. He thought about all the private concerts Corvus gave him where Soren would watch, awestruck. Mesmerized by the way Corvus’s hands moved across the instrument. Captivated by the focused purse of his lips. Enjoying the opportunity to gaze at his friend as much as Soren wanted without feeling weird about it, since Corvus had a tendency to play with his eyes closed.

I’ll never forget the first time I saw you – you were so loud and bold. I was captivated. Reminisce in the place where you find your favorite romance novels.

Soren grinned. Only one person knew of the extent of his love for a good romance. There was no doubt this scavenger hunt was Corvus’s doing… but why?

He made his way to the library, scanning the shelves, thinking back to his childhood. He vaguely remembered the day Corvus mentioned in the clue - Soren had been searching for Claudia and found her reading with Corvus in a quiet corner.

Soren had thought Corvus was the coolest guy he’d ever seen and had tried to impress him by showing off with his training sword. He ended up breaking a one-of-a-kind vase and getting grounded for a month.

Quite the first impression.

Soren wasn’t sure what book the next clue could be in or around - until he saw his favorite. A tale about a brave knight and the court jester, spine worn from all of the times it had been flipped through. Soren removed it from the shelf, and it opened to the page where the two heroes shared their first kiss. He felt his face flush as he pulled out the note.

I can’t figure out how to make this sound fancy or rhyme, so just go to the place where my life changed for the better. You asked me a very important question, and I thank whatever higher beings are out there that I said “alright” every day.

Soren grinned, thinking about the day he asked Corvus to be a Crownguard as he jogged up the stairs to his favorite spot in the castle. He’d been so nervous that Corvus would say no and leave Katolis - leave him - forever.

Soren reached the top of the stairs, and he spotted Rayla on the rampart impatiently tapping her foot with an envelope in hand. He ran up to her and scooped her into a hug. “Best friend!” he shouted.

“You are so lucky I didn’t just stab you.” Rayla said with a roll of her eyes, but she couldn’t help the smile that came to her face as she accepted her fate. Soren gently set her down.

He pointed to the envelope in her hand. “Is that for me?”

She nodded and put her hand out. “He wanted somebody up here so it wouldn’t blow away. He’s such a sap.”

Looking for the final stop? My heart is as hollow as this tree when you’re not around.

Rayla watched Soren digest the words. “You do know where you’re going, right? Corvus promised me you’d get it.”

“Of course I do.”

“Okay. Then go get your man!”

Soren gave her a confused look. “Corvus is his own man.”

She sighed. “You’re hopeless. No wonder he had to resort to this. Just go.”

Soren ran down the steps and made his way to the western forest.

…

Corvus surveyed the clearing around the hollow tree with his hands on his hips.

First, the little round table with jelly tarts, bread, and salad - apparently all Soren needed to sustain himself. It made Corvus shudder, but such are the things you do for love. There was also a vase ready to hold a bouquet of small sunflowers and daisies - Soren’s favorites. They’d passed a flower shop one day when they were off in town, and Soren had told Corvus all about how he loved them because of how bright and beautiful they were. Corvus felt similarly about Soren.

Then, the mood lighting. The sun was starting to go down and Corvus had carefully placed candles all around the clearing - all while keeping in mind fire safety, of course.

The sea provided excellent background music with the waves lapping at the nearby shore.

Everything was ready. And Soren should be there any time, if the note Callum sent on the wind was any indication.

Corvus heard a crash in the forest and grabbed the bouquet, facing the direction Soren was coming from.

Sure enough, a moment later, Corvus saw Soren from afar. Corvus couldn’t stop the smile that took over his face. Soren smiled back and picked up his pace.

“Corvus!” Soren said, pulling him into a hug. Corvus quickly held the flowers far away from them so they wouldn’t get squished, hugging Soren back with one arm. “I’ve been looking for you all day. I missed you!”

“Well, I’ve been a little busy.”

Soren pulled away and surveyed the area. “I can see that! This is beautiful. Who’s it for?”

Corvus took a deep breath. “It’s for you, Soren.”

Soren’s eyes softened. “You’re so nice, Corvus. But why?”

“These are also for you,” he said in a rush, looking away and shoving the flowers towards Soren.

Soren let out a gasp and clapped his hands together before grabbing the bouquet. “My favorites! They’re so pretty!” Soren gave the bouquet a sniff. “And they smell so good. But I’m still confused.”

Soren brought the flowers over to the table and put them in the vase as Corvus stood, frozen. A moment later, Corvus felt fingers on his chin, tilting his head back towards Soren.

“What’s going on?” Soren asked, cradling Corvus’s face in his hand, thumb rubbing across Corvus’s cheek.

He took a deep breath. Corvus hadn’t planned to do this until after they’d snacked, but plans change. His certainly had.

Corvus could do this.

“Soren, I like you,” he said earnestly, gazing into Soren’s eyes.

“Corvus, we’ve been over this. I like you too! You’re my best friend.”

Corvus sighed, pulling away and grabbing Soren’s hands in his own.

“Soren, I have no idea what I’m doing. And every time I’ve tried to do this, it hasn’t gone how I wanted. But I’m trying.”

“Okay…”

“Let me finish,” Corvus said, putting a finger to Soren’s lips. He pulled it away a moment later when Soren blushed. “All I do know is that I am madly in love with you. And I think you might be in love with me, too.”

Soren’s face went blank and Corvus grimaced.

“In… love?”

Corvus nodded hesitantly. “I’m not trying to force you into anything, and it’s okay if you don’t feel the same, but I felt like you had a right to know -”

This time it was Soren’s turn to put a finger on Corvus’s lips to shut him up while Soren’s brain processed this new information. Corvus could see Soren putting the pieces together as realization struck.

“Oh. Oh. Corvus. Corvus, I think I’m in love with you, too.” Soren responded eagerly, lightly smacking Corvus’s arm repeatedly in excitement.

“Really?” Corvus asked hopefully, looking into Soren’s eyes.

“Yeah! I don’t know how I never noticed it before. I… it’s like your final clue said. I feel hollow when you’re gone. You just... You make everything so much better,” Soren said giddily. “I love you. So much.”

Corvus felt tears pricking at his eyes. “I love you.”

Suddenly, Soren’s hands were cupping Corvus’s face again, wiping the tears away. Soren’s eyes were shining as well.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it,” Soren whispered as their bodies moved closer together.

“There’s nothing to apologize for.”

Corvus’s eyes dipped down to Soren’s lips. They were so near his own.

“Soren, can I -”

“Please.”

“You didn’t even let me finish my question.”

“Corvus, kiss me.”

Corvus complied, one hand at Soren’s waist joining their bodies together, and the other tangling itself in Soren’s hair. Soren tasted as sweet as he was, just like the jelly tarts he’d snacked on all day.

…

“Wow,” Soren breathed as they pulled apart after… quite a few minutes. “I can’t believe we’ve been missing out on that.”

Corvus flushed at the words. Soren couldn’t wait to compliment him every day and watch him get flustered. Corvus was so handsome like that. Soren felt the urge to kiss his warm cheeks and tried to ignore it - until he remembered he didn’t have to ignore it anymore. They loved each other. So, he planted a dozen tiny kisses along Corvus’s face.

He thought the laugh Corvus let out was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard. Once Soren was done, he ran his thumb across Corvus’s bottom lip, mesmerized. It was so soft. He wanted to feel it on his lips again, in his mouth again.

“As much as I would love to just make out with you all night, I feel like you had more planned for our evening,” Soren whispered, locking his arms around Corvus’s neck.

“Mm, I could deal with a change of plans…” Corvus said dazedly.

Soren couldn’t help his smirk. “I promise, there will be plenty of time for kissing after our date.”

Corvus pouted. Soren gave that pout a quick peck before stepping back, knowing he had to disentangle them if Corvus’s plans were going to come to fruition. Corvus sighed, grabbed Soren’s hand, and led them to the table.

“So, initially my plan for the evening had been scavenger hunt, food, and then that, but obviously I couldn’t help myself once I saw you,” Corvus explained as he pulled out Soren’s chair for him.

Soren kissed his cheek. “Look at you, being so chivalrous.”

Corvus ducked his head as he went to his own seat. Soren started filling his plate excitedly.

“You know, that scavenger hunt gave me a great workout,” Soren said around a mouthful of salad.

“Ok first of all, gross. Chew with your mouth closed. Second of all: ah yes. Because you getting a workout was at the top of my mind,” Corvus responded with a roll of his eyes. “Not that I don’t appreciate the results.” He eyed the man sitting in front of him.

This time, it was Soren’s turn to blush as he choked on his salad. Corvus looked smug as he grabbed a slice of bread.

“So, uh, when did you figure out your feelings?” Soren asked.

Corvus leaned back in his chair, thoughtful.

“I’ve known for a while that I liked you and had a bit of a crush. It’s part of the reason I decided to stay in Katolis. The mushroom forest really solidified that I loved you as more than a friend, though.”

Soren gestured for him to go on. “And?”

“What do you mean, ‘and?’”

“Like, what about our adventure did it for you?”

“Oh.” Corvus cleared his throat. “I mean, a little bit of everything. I realized how much I’d missed you while we were apart. And when you hugged me…” Corvus shrugged. “It was like I finally accepted how important you were to me. I felt complete in a way I never had before.”

“Me, too.” Soren smiled. “Looking back, I’ve always admired you. Even when we were kids, I thought you were the coolest guy at camp. But that’s also why I always felt like I had to be better than you because Viren…” Soren stopped and shook his head. “Nope, tonight is about happy things. Anyway, I’m just glad you helped me figure things out.”

Corvus grabbed his hand from across the small table. “I’m here if you ever do want to talk about those things though, okay?”

“Okay.”

…

“Do you remember when I first brought you here?” Soren asked.

“Of course. I thought it might have been your way of asking me out. I quickly realized I was wrong.”

Soren laughed. “Ugh, I wish. I remember you were so fascinated by the tree. It was adorable.”

Corvus smiled. He looked over at the aforementioned hollow tree. It was very interesting, but not near as fascinating as the man in front of him.

“So… what do we do now?” Soren asked.

“This evening?”

“Sure. But also, just in general. I’ve never exactly been in a serious relationship before,” Soren confessed.

“Wait. Really?”

Soren shrugged. “When was there time? I spent my childhood focused on becoming a Crownguard. Then once I got the job, most of my time was spent trying to show that I deserved it. And, well, now you’ve been around for the last few years.”

“But you’re just so…” Corvus waved his free hand. “I mean, look at you. Every time we go into town, half the population stares, and not just because you’re the Head Crownguard.”

Soren preened at the praise. He knew he looked good. “I went on some dates here and there in my teens. But there were never any flings, and certainly no committed relationship. And that doesn’t mean I was truly interested in them. I might not have realized it, but these past few years I’ve only had eyes for you.”

Corvus squeezed Soren’s hand. “If it helps, this is my first relationship, too.”

Now it was Soren’s turn to be shocked. “You? But you’re incredible.”

“Soren, I don’t really do ‘casual.’ Until now, I was almost never in one place for long enough to build a strong foundation with someone to let these feelings grow. As it is, it’s taken me years to work up the nerve to confess to you.”

“Oh. Wow.” Soren wasn’t quite sure he knew how to convey how special that made him feel. So instead, Soren stood up and pulled Corvus to his feet as well, gathering him in a hug.

Corvus melted into him as Soren swayed them back and forth. “But that just means we’ll discover this together.”

Soren grinned. “Together.”

Their mouths met to seal the deal with a kiss.

—

Author’s Note: Thank you for reading!!

I was inspired by @stuck-in-jelly’s tags on this post of mine for the flashback attempted confession scene (I feel like half of my fics have something inspired by her tags/posts/our conversations💀).

[pinkspacevampire]

This post is going to be so fricking oddly specific. It's going to be combining 3 not that popular fandoms so be prepared for the most obscure niche post ever.

Tales from the stinky dragon enjoyers, I want you all to know that the mental image I have of Slique the Symphonius is Fricking Soren from Minecraft Story Mode. Every time I picture Slique in my head I picture the minecraft block character seen in the picture below. That's it thank you

Mistborn enjoyers, I want you all to know that the mental image I have of Breeze is Fricking Soren from Minecraft Story Mode. Every time I picture Breeze in my head I picture the minecraft block character seen in the picture below. That's it thank you

Minecraft Story Mode enjoyers, If you don't know either of the characters that I mentioned above just know that there are two characters that I always picture as Soren. Soren is on my mind even when I'm not actively consuming mcsm related media and I think that's something to celebrate.

[vastly-fixated-devotee-667]

so emo about that one throuple of block shaped old people

[a-very-sparkly-nerd]

I get that there's a budget and they can only have so much time per episode, but why is there like NOTHING about 5x08?!?! Like that shit got the show a TV-14 rating and was DOWNRIGHT TRAUMATIZING and HORRIBLE and there's just? No? Mention?? Make it make sense??