#corterry

He'd sulk after his father as they checked snares in the woods, black-feathered birds chirping overhead. Most of the village didn't come out this far, seeing them as bad omens, but his father was not most people, apparently, stroking his mustache thoughtfully, his blue scarf wrapped around his broad shoulders.

"Why'd you have to name me after them?" Corvus had complained.

His father'd spared a glance skyward. "You know why. They're your mother's favourite."

"Yes, but—they're bad omens."

"Says who?"

"Everyone."

His father chortled. "Just because everybody says something doesn't make it true, son."

"Yes, but—" Everybody said his younger brother Antoni was better natured than him; easier to get along with, easier to understand, and smiled at all the right times. He was never cold. Never standoffish or too quiet.

"Ravens are perceptive," his father had carried on. They were nearly to the snare now. "Clever. So are you. Would you rather be like Lord Bradford's boy, named without thought at all?"

Better that than to be named after ravens, Corvus had thought glumly, who gathered together are known as an unkindness, but—

"Still no luck at naming the city?" Corvus says, turning away from the trees to bring two cups of tea to main table at the Banther Lodge.

Terry sits by the dim light of the window, the sun long since set. His lips twitch upwards, though, as Corvus sits down across from him. "It's hard to find something that will work for all of Xadia," Terry says. "The books Lady Opeli—"

"Cleric," Corvus corrects softly, smiling; it turned out Earthblood elves didn't have those, and so he kept forgetting.

"Right, Cleric—the books she gave me about the Pentarchy are interesting, but if I pull from just one of the kingdoms, the others will be upset. And if I pull just from human languages—"

"Xadia won't be happy."

Terry snaps his fingers. "Exactly."

And it's not like naming the city is exclusively Terry's task, but much the way Soren has thrown himself into rebuilding Katolis to not think about his sister, Corvus suspects Terry is doing the same to avoid thinking about his ex.

"I'm afraid I'll be little help," Corvus says. "Neither myself or my family has ever been very good with names."

"Really?" Terry gives him a tiny, sincere smile. "But your name is so pretty."

"For the raven family, really?"

"Ravens—Moon and Earth ravens, I guess, are good luck for my people. They're symbols of kindness. Reminders of it too. There's been enough cruelty, don't you think?"

"Hm." There's a strange warmth that spreads down to his toes, and it's not just the hot tea in his mug as Corvus takes a sip and considers. "I'm sure you'll think of something," he says confidently. "You did a very good job choosing your name, didn't you?"

Choosing his own path, again and again, when the time came to choose. It reminds Corvus a little of Soren.

Inspired by @raayllum's fic-athon back in October, I introduce to you... The Review Fic-Athon 2.0!!

Now if you didn't participate in their's, lemme explain. Through this little fandom event you can get ficlets in return for writing reviews on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes! Most episodes and seasons have a surprisingly low number of reviews and it's an easy way to boost the show's rating on Netflix. Anything for Arc Three, amirite or amirite?

I'll be using the same rules as Raayllum's previous fic-athon, so here's how it works.

✩ Rotten Tomatoes: you can't review individual episodes, only seasons. So if you review all 7 seasons you get 1 ficlet, written by yours truly!

✩ IMDB: you actually do review the individual episodes, so for each season's worth of episodes you review you get 1 ficlet.

⋆｡°✩ Make sure to leave star rankings as well!

Making the show trend on IMDB or giving it higher Rotten Tomatoes ratings will make people more likely to see it, and therefore more likely to binge the show! Which is super vital to us getting Arc Three, especially in the first 28 days after the show's release. And even if there is an episode / season you're not as big a fan of, giving them all the same 5 star treatment (or 10 star, on IMDB) can really help boost the show's rating. #anythingforthesaga!

Once you've written your reviews, send me an ask with proof (like saying "I left reviews on Season [blank] under username [blank]) or via screencaps. And then I'll write you a fic!

Corvus considers himself to be a pretty good tracker. He's just always been good at noticing the little things: broken twigs and disturbed soil and changes in the calls of native birds and such; things that take practise to see and an amount of training to hear. It's not that surprising, honestly, that he notices the change in Soren's behaviour before Soren ever does himself.

It's been how long now? Eight? Almost nine years? Terry's been with them for seven of those, and they've been out and about and adventuring the whole time so of course he notices the way Soren's eyes have started to wander whenever they're in Katolis.

It's subtle at first: a little smile here, a lingering touch there, the slightest pink in his cheeks whenever he and Opeli find themselves sitting next to each other in a meeting or at a meal. Corvus says nothing about it because it's not his place to say, and Soren is happy, which matters more than the little sting of jealousy that creeps unwantedly into his chest. He'd caught himself once hoping she'd just turn him down and had hated himself a little for it: Opeli is his friend too, and cleric or not, she deserves happiness just the same. If whatever is happening between them brings them joy, then Corvus would be remiss in wishing for anything else.

It's better now. He's grown used to it, and there's always something about the castle and its surrounds that Terry wants to know, so Corvus obliges him, and it's nice to hang around and just talk, no mission, no recon, no silly jokes.

Today is the same. The Yule season has settled over the city comfortably, and the festival the common folk throw every year is in full swing. The air is cold but it smells like cinnamon and spun sugar, the trees are lit with twinkling balls of Sunfire magic, the snow is soft and piles like pillows on every available surface, and Soren is wheedling Opeli (as always) to join them for the evening festivities.

Corvus hides his smile because they all know the answer is yes. Opeli has never had any resolve when it comes to Soren, and the facade of being stern and unyielding stopped fooling the three of them years ago, but it's Terry who intervenes.

"Actually, Corvus and I were thinking about going to the river," he says. "I was told I'd get to learn how to skate this year."

Opeli raises an eyebrow at Soren. "Then I can't very well tag along, can I?"

Soren flounders, very poorly disguising his disappointment. "What—I mean—Did I say that?"

"Oh, you didn't," says Terry. "Corvus did. Remember?"

"Um." Corvus' cheeks warm, because yes, he did, weeks ago, and he's somewhat ashamed that he'd forgotten. "Yes. Of course."

"Problem solved then," says Terry, clapping his hands. "You two enjoy the festival. We'll see you when you get back."

Opeli flushes a little. Soren flushes a lot.

"Oh," says Opeli. "I was under the assumption I'd be joining all of you."

"We're here for the month," says Terry, waving her off. "We can hang out anytime. Go have fun."

Soren flushes more. "You mean, like. Alone? At a festival?"

"Yeah," says Terry, giving him a look. Corvus has to fight back a laugh. "Is that a problem?"

"Of course not," says Opeli primly, her recovery always graceful. "I suppose I'll go and get my cloak." She eyes Terry suspiciously as she rises, but she touches Soren's arm before she goes. Soren mouths a thank you at Terry when she's not looking and offers them both a grin and a thumbs up.

He follows her to the stairwell leaving Corvus and Terry alone at the table, and they glance at each other and burst into laughter at once. The air is warm. Corvus' cheeks are sore from smiling all night. Terry leans back in his chair, his elbow brushing lightly against Corvus' arm.

"You'd think they were teenagers," snorts Terry.

"They're doing their best," says Corvus. "And y'know, strictly speaking, it's a little more complicated than how it looks, Opeli being a cleric and all but. Yes. They're ridiculous."

"You'll still teach me to skate though, right?"

"Yes, of course," chuckles Corvus heartily. "We can go now if you like."

"I would like that," says Terry, getting up. He grins at Corvus, and for a moment the world stills, and Corvus feels his heart do something funny, something unexpected, and when Terry touches his arm, it does it again.

Oh, he thinks. That's new. Or has it been something that's been happening for a while?

Corvus finds he doesn't know.

When Soren's daughters are born, he sends for Corvus.

The concept is kind of weird at first: Corvus isn't around as often these days, and he and Soren... the falling out of their old relationship wasn't easy on either of them but it's been years since and they're both in better, happier places. He lives by the border now, in a little cottage that's small and quiet and better suited to him than the politics and drama of Katolis castle. He keeps watch over the old scars of the Breach and sends crows to Ezran every week or so to keep him apprised of their peacekeeping efforts, and he lives there with Terry, of all people, whom Soren had been hesitant to trust at first but he's good for Corvus—the same way he imagines Opeli is good for himself.

Soren is happy for them. Genuinely. Terry is a good man, and after the chaos of being with Claudia, he deserves the quiet and the comfort of being with someone like Corvus. Those scars haven't quite healed over yet so Terry doesn't usually visit with Corvus whenever he comes to call, but despite everything, despite the complexity of Soren and Corvus' past relationship, despite the way it fell apart, they're still brothers in arms, and there is no one (besides Opeli) that Soren trusts more.

So when his daughters are born, of course he sends for Corvus, and of course, Corvus comes, eager to meet the baby girls that are his nieces in all but name, and of course, Soren mulls the question he wants to ask over in his head, wondering if it's too much to ask after everything that's happened.

"They're beautiful," Corvus whispers, rocking a sleeping Rory in his arms. Soren watches him examine her nose and the pinkness of her cheeks, warmth in his chest as Corvus' smiles at the way she coos. "Congratulations. To you and Opeli both, you must be thrilled."

"I'm just glad they're all okay," says Soren, shushing Gwyn a little when she starts to fuss. "For a second there I—" He swallows, thinking of the first that they lost, and how very harrowing Opeli's labour was when she birthed these two not even two weeks ago. She's recovering well, and the twins have been putting on weight the way they're supposed to, but the worry still sits with Soren. He's lost so much already. He cannot even imagine losing more.

Corvus recognises it. Soren does not wonder how.

"Hey." Corvus nudges him gently. "They're okay. They're all okay. These two are thriving and you know how stubborn Opeli can be. She's not gonna let childbirth be the thing that gets her after all of this."

Soren snorts in spite of himself. "I know," he murmurs. "Can't blame a guy for worrying, though."

"No," chuckles Corvus. "I suppose I can't. Ezran said it was a lot."

"That's putting it lightly." Soren shudders at the memory of it: the first relatively uncomplicated, the second in breech, the haemorrhage that followed still too bright and too red, even in his mind. He shakes his head. "I wanted to ask you something, actually. It's a big kind of favour and you can say no, of course, but you're the only one I'd trust with it."

Corvus raises a curious brow. "What is it?"

"Well, if..." Soren clears his throat again, wondering how to put it, how to begin. "I dunno, it's kinda weird with how things were. I hope it's not weird now?"

"Soren."

"Right, um." Soren takes a breath. "If anything happens to me or Opeli, would you be willing to take care of these two? Again, you can say no—I dunno what you and Terry have planned for the future, and y'know... one of the things that we didn't agree on way back when was kids but... There's no one else I'd ask, so..."

Corvus blinks. Then he grins. Then he laughs. "I'd be honoured," he says warmly.

"Really?"

"Yeah." Corvus chuckles a little more and traces the curve of Rory's nose. "They're growing on me. Kids as a concept, I mean. I think we were young but you were always ready for it more than me. Maybe Terry and I won't or maybe we will, but if it's these two, I'd have no questions about it. Of course."

Soren lets out a breath, the tension in his shoulders easing a little, and smiles. "Thank you. And I'm sorry. About all the things that didn't work out between us."

"I'm not," says Corvus. "Because then these two little ladies might never have existed and I can see how happy they make you, and at the end of the day, we're still friends, right? I'm glad things happened the way they did. I'm really happy for you, Soren."

Soren lets himself chuckle and bounces a little as Gwyn stirs. "I am happy," he says. "And I'm happy for you too. I'm glad you have Terry. He's good for you."

"I like to think so," chuckles Corvus. "Thank you. And you should know you don't have to ask. I'd protect them with my life if I needed to."

Do you enjoy crackships?

Are you secretly enjoying the sorpeli and claudiez me and @raayllum put out?

For those unaware, the canon crack quartet, is rayllum and the following insane trio of ships: claudiez, sorpeli, and corterry

You read that correctly

I got dragged onto this boat unwillingly so now all of you have to suffer too.

These are my hcs and I've already written some of it into fic (linked for convenience).

It's important to note that the crack quartet can only ever take place 10-15 years from the end of canon. Everyone involved by this point is a fully consenting adult. Please keep this disclaimer in mind before you all start coming at me.

Now that that's out of the way