Summary: Corvus waking up in the mushroom forest with Soren on top of him. That's it, that's the plot.
Note: As with any Sorvus fan, "Love, War, and Mushrooms" lives rent free in my mind. After watching the scene where Soren catches Corvus and they proceed to pass out one too many times, I cooked this up.
...
Sparkles. Green sparkles. That’s one of the last things Corvus remembers from before he passed out.
But also Soren. He remembered Soren. He always remembered Soren. Corvus remembered being safe in Soren’s arms, even before the giant living mushroom had popped up behind them. When the only thing Soren had needed to protect Corvus from was his own pain.
Corvus remembered the free fall from the natural slide, before being caught in those strong arms and wrapping his arm around Soren’s neck. For safety purposes, of course. No other reason.
He remembered how Soren had every opportunity to set him down once they landed in the clearing, yet he did not. He’d held Corvus close. Corvus couldn’t complain - he would’ve gladly stayed there all day. And his aching leg was only a part of the reason.
He also remembered how Soren had startled at the giant mushroom, and Corvus thought he would end up in the dirt for a moment. Instead, Soren had quickly recovered. His grip on Corvus had in fact strengthened, causing Corvus’s heart to flutter. And finally, Corvus remembered Soren setting Corvus down on the ground as gently as he could before Soren himself passed out.
And now, as Corvus was slowly coming to… warmth. His eyes felt too heavy to open, and his limbs were too heavy to move. Likely side effects from whatever the green sleep sparkles - mushroom spores? - had done to them. So, he attempted to use his other senses. He could feel the sun beating down on him (Possibly the cause of the warmth that had woken him? But it felt like there was something more, too.), and his surroundings smelled the same as earlier, so he must still be somewhere in the forest. He heard Hat’s high-pitched snores and Zym’s snuffling, so they were still nearby.
Then where was Soren?
Corvus slowly gained feeling back into his extremities and attempted to wiggle his fingers. His right arm was free, but his left felt wedged under something. He felt at what was on top of his hand. It seemed like… Soren’s armor? Slowly, Corvus became more cognizant of what had originally awoken him: that warmth, alongside a weight on his arm, along his chest. Soren’s body?
He slowly opened his eyes a bit, wincing at the bright light. Sure enough, there was Soren, knocked out on top of Corvus. Soren’s head on his chest. Soren’s hands clutching at Corvus’s armor, trying to keep close. Corvus couldn’t help but cringe at the way his friend had collapsed on top of him - Soren couldn’t be very comfortable. But if anything, instead of moving away from Corvus or trying to resituate himself in his sleep, Soren seemed to be burrowing deeper into Corvus’s side.
Corvus couldn’t help the soft smile that came to his face. It wasn’t like this was the first time they’d slept in the same space, but something felt different this time. In a moment of extreme vulnerability, Soren sought out Corvus. He’d tried to bring Corvus closer.
Corvus felt his face and neck warm, and not just from the midday sun. He looked to his other side and saw Zym and Hat sleeping an arm’s length away, Hat nestled in Zym’s mane.
Good, he thought. They’re safe.
And behind them - an elf. Corvus stiffened, and the elf winked at him.
“Since you’re awake, you might want this Mush-cap,” the elf said, walking over and holding out a head-sized red and white mushroom hat. The colors reminded Corvus of Soren. “It’s how the Mushroom folk know you’re a Mush-friend.”
Corvus nodded as best he could from the ground and held out his not-trapped-by-Soren hand. He wasn’t sure who this person was, and his gut instinct was to be wary, but the group had been in a vulnerable position. If this elf wanted to do anything to them, he would have already.
He grabbed the hat from the elf’s hand and set it at his side as he slowly disentangled himself from Soren to sit up. Soren’s peaceful face turned into a frown and Corvus’s own expression faltered. Unfortunately, they couldn’t cuddle the afternoon away today. But maybe someday.
“Who are you?” Corvus asked quietly as he carefully set Soren back onto the ground in a hopefully more comfortable, and at the very least less scrunched up, position. He couldn’t help himself - he smoothed the furrow between Soren’s brows with his thumb and brushed away the hair that had fallen into his face. His touch lingered a bit longer than it needed to.
“I am Mukho, the Mushroom Mage,” the elf said, tipping his own Mush-cap.
Corvus stood and put on his cap before giving a small bow, hand fisted at his chest. “I am Corvus, Crownguard of Katolis.”
Mukho’s face brightened in understanding. “Ah, I’ve heard lots about Katolis. The Dragon Queen is close with the king and some council members there, is she not?”
Corvus nodded. “Yes. In fact, you might recognize the Dragon Prince, Azymondias, here,” he said, gesturing to Zym. He hoped that revealing Zym’s identity was a good choice and not a mistake, but this elf seemed to know a lot about the royal family of dragons and Katolis already. “And I am a council member.”
Zym, hearing his name, stirred, eyes slowly blinking open in anxious confusion.
“Do you have more of these caps for the rest of my party?” Corvus asked, giving Zym a reassuring smile. Zym, upon seeing that Corvus was okay and smiling, stretched and stood up, making sure not to jostle Hat. It seemed like Hat could sleep through just about anything.
Mukho nodded. “Follow me.”
Corvus started to follow but looked back at Soren, hesitating to leave him. Corvus didn’t want him to wake up alone and scared, but…
“Don’t worry, your boyfriend will be fine,” Mukho said with another wink.
“He’s not -” Corvus started, but stopped with a shake of his head. It wasn’t worth getting into that with a stranger. They weren’t anything, but he did like the sound of “boyfriend.” Mukho gave him a frustratingly knowing look.
How did this elf seem to know so much about them, specifically?
Corvus would come back to put Soren’s Mush-cap on, he decided, and then he’d allow his friend to wake in his own time. Corvus and company would stay close, so that when Soren woke up he wouldn’t be afraid that something bad had happened. Sources knew that Soren could use the chance to rest, even if it wasn’t by choice.
So if Mukho can actually save Zubeia's life with his mushroom magic,
that implies that the mushroom magic could be tasked to combat the corruption spreading from downtown Lux Aurea, right? Like real mushrooms that eat toxic waste and radiation?
It might also take 300 years, like the Sun Seed, but not all hope is lost!
#project hail mary
#the amazing digital circus
#heated rivalry
#lana del rey
#photography
