Kitty

This collection reminds me of a Studio Ghibli movie. If you’d like, you can read it once and enjoy it for the warmth and romance of the domestic, mundane life. That said, However it speaks to the talent of the way the author has that they have managed to create a story that feels so effortlessly natural, yet still includes weight and depth to both the characters and the plot is truly remarkable.

The series begins with You, Blinding Like The Sun. 

We dive into Astarion’s feelings and conflict in the early days of his relationship with Tav. The feelings are new, and difficult to manage. We can see some initial comparisons with Cazador here as Astarion sees Tav as some perfect being he cannot hope to emulate, someone superior to him. He creates his own power imbalance because he doesn’t know any other option. Astarion has been shoved into the sunlight both literally and figuratively. Overwhelmed by the situation he finds himself in, his immediate response is to lash out. 

As their journey progresses, however, this balance shifts. The author shows the reader the imperfections in both characters and how their relationship adjusts around those personal flaws. 

Astarion decides that Tav is someone he wants to have alongside him through the blinding difficulty and the imperfections. It’s a wonderful beginning to a well-rounded relationship. 

The following two works - Steady Hands, Frame My Love and A Gift That Keeps On Giving - focus on the developing relationship between Astarion and Tav. More specifically, the author demonstrates how the pair navigate complicated situations together. 

The reader sees Astarion’s flaws and Tav’s love for him because of them (rather than in spite of them), with Astarion mirroring the sentiment about the ever imperfect Tav.

You can also see Astarion’s healing with the way he views Tav. There is little focus on appearance, more on the smaller inflections and imperfect edges. After Astarion was used for his good looks so many times, this is a refreshing contrast. The reader can see this in several of the works; as the relationship develops, we can see how they prioritise each other over appearances every time. 

This collection was surprisingly relaxing to read. The work Darling, Mind if I Enjoy Myself? is a lovely smutty treat with no small amount of teasing and fluff. It’s easy enough to enjoy for the smut alone, but a deeper read reveals the depth of their affections for one another and just how much the pair enjoy being together. They are in love, and every moment is drawn out as they relish every moment.

Starlit Skirts is the end of the timeline of this series, but it is not the final story. It’s a beautifully sweet climax, with a lovely surprise at the end. 

The sixth work in the series, The Scent of Missing Buttons, is actually a prequel to the previous five, and touches on the night Astarion was taken by the nautiloid. 

In the prequel, the author shows us Astarion’s life as Cazador’s spawn. Astarion’s trauma is made manifest, reflecting how deeply he has been dehumanised, even to himself, to the point that he scolds himself for not grovelling enough in front of his abuser and tormentor. We are introduced to a version of Astarion that has been shattered into a thousand different pieces over the past two centuries. 

Once you’ve read The Scent of Missing Buttons, the entire story unfurls like a flower in bloom. The writer has sewn links and connections into each work like the pearls on a wedding dress, and you can enjoy finding each Easter egg on your re-read (which I highly recommend). For example, you’ll find a change in sentence structure and shorter paragraph length in The Scent of Missing Buttons. It reflect Astarion’s dissociation and disconnection while under Cazador’s command, his mind numb, focusing only on what is necessary to his survival. In contrast, once Astarion meets Tav, the author’s writing becomes increasingly descriptive and poetic as Astarion starts to see the world with new eyes. The Author’s work is a fascinating example of how even something as simple as formatting and sentence structure can convey depth and nuance. 

As a character, Astarion is remarkably malleable, and I’ve yet to find an interpretation of him that I don’t enjoy. His journey towards a healthy romance with Tav makes for a beautiful story with a great deal of depth, akin to a thousand fragile threads linking together with the strength of steel and creating a beautiful tapestry of their love for one another. 

With the work’s excellent depiction of Astarion’s struggle to survive, his panic in a new relationship and the active choice he makes to choose loving Tav over fearing Cazador, I would happily read each chapter again and again.

Not to be outdone with the already excellent six works I've already mentioned, emicha has now added a seventh work (published only a few days ago) that I have yet to read, namely Springtime Caresses. If it is anything like its predecessors, I absolutely can't wait to sink my teeth into it.

We have included a snippet of the first work in the series below for your enjoyment. As always, please remember to support the author's work with comments and kudos. 🫶

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You, Blinding Like the Sun

He despises you.

From the moment Astarion first laid eyes upon you—confident, selfless little elf, blinding like the sun—he has despised you. You with your dazzling golden eyes, the sweet flush on the tip of your pointy ears. Your artfully arranged hair, kissed by the sun to make it shine like fine silk. The cute little freckles sprinkled all over your unmarred skin—skin that has never been touched by undesired hands. You who lived long enough to choose a name for yourself—to make a name for yourself.

How he despises all of it.

The way you win anyone over with nothing but an honest smile; the sheer purpose in your every step. That nasty confidence of yours that isn't some skill you ever needed to acquire because, to you, it comes all-natural, of course—you were born with it. Astarion can tell it's true because he’s spent two centuries mimicking the behaviour of people just like you.

And he despises you for it.

Before you were even born, the gods have bestowed their gifts on you, and here you are, not even knowing what power you hold, how very blessed you are. You wouldn’t even care if you knew, because the fact of the matter is that you have no need for gods nor gifts nor skills. Not when people gravitate towards you as if you have hung the stars. And how dreadfully inviting you always are, so very accommodating.

You can find the entire series here on AO3.

Working Steel, the first of velocitross’ three works that include this rare pair, is a masterwork in character portrayal. The author adeptly captures the at-a-glance somewhat incompatible personalities of the two tiefling refugees who fled Elturel together and now reside in Baldur’s Gate. In this work, the relationship between Rolan, the ever-surly wizard and the newly ‘appointed’ master of Ramazith Tower, and Dammon, the gentle yet infernally talented blacksmith of the Forge of the Nine, has grown far beyond mere friendship.

Rolan, frustrated by his attempts to catalogue the mindless chaos remaining after the untimely death of the tower’s former owner, approaches Dammon to ask for his help and visits him at his forge. But what could a blacksmith possibly offer a wizard? Well, a good fuck, for one thing. Rolan is pent-up, impatient, and needs a good lay. And, it turns out, so does Dammon. The smut that ensues is not only blazingly hot but also beautifully captures the tender affection between the two tieflings through not only their words, but small, unique gestures of love and care. (Mind the tails. I mean, tags. No, tails.)

In Up in the Tower, it’s Dammon’s turn to visit the wizard’s domain. But the blacksmith receives a less-than-warm welcome, as the ever-grumpy Rolan becomes highly annoyed at having his work interrupted. But considering Rolan is dressed in little more than his underwear and an open robe, I’m more than willing to forgive him for his surliness. Dammon, however, being the sweet, gentle soul that he is, insists on taking care of Rolan beyond his carnal needs alone. In this work, the relationship between the pair deepens, and the author has wonderfully captured the intimacy of the pair. Lastly, we have Within the Storm. This work takes us back to the Shadow-Cursed Lands as the tiefling refugees attempt to cross its desolate lands on their way to Baldur’s Gate. When the Absolute’s forces ambush the group, Rolan expertly wields his magic to stave them off. But when something happens to Zevlor, the battle takes a turn for the worse. In the chaos, Rolan’s siblings, Cal and Lia, are kidnapped and several of his friends and co-travellers are brutally murdered.

Once at Last Light Inn, Rolan is a fucking mess, devastated by his siblings’ capture. Lost in the depths of his despair and way too much drink, the tiefling wizard finds comfort in the arms of a fellow refugee he’d known since childhood - Dammon. And thus the gentlest embers of affection between the pair begin to spark to life. This lovely one-shot serves as a prelude to the author’s much-anticipated long fic about the pair, their growing affection for one another and what looks to be a truly beautiful love story. If you would like to follow velocitross’ incredible work about the love between a tiefling wizard and blacksmith, please be sure to subscribe to the author on AO3 and follow their work and the pending long fic. We have included a snippet of Working Steel below for your enjoyment. As always, please support the writers of our incredible fandom by leaving kudos and comments on their work. 🫶

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Working Steel

By velocitross on AO3

The ring of his hammer fills Dammon’s ears and his attention as he works. A soft frown of focus curves his lips. It’s a simple enough repair—restoring a blade for the halfling woman standing outside the forge watching him work. Still, there’s a satisfaction to it: the rhythm of his strikes, the heat of the day in Baldur’s Gate warming him beneath his layers of apron and clothing. The ordinary busy noise of the city goes on just outside his focus, a subtle, stabilizing comfort even months after the Netherbrain’s defeat.

When he glances up from his work, a distinct figure catches his eye amongst the passersby. Rolan, with his proud bearing and his regal blue and red robes, coming toward the smithy with a tense, bothered scowl and his tail lashing behind him. A smile touches Dammon’s lips. He knows that look.

“I’ll be with you in a moment,” he says as Rolan comes to a stop an awkward few feet from the halfling waiting on her sword.

“Well, don’t take too long,” Rolan snaps, and then reddens further when Dammon raises an eyebrow at him. “Sorry. I’ll just—I’ll wait.”

Dammon lifts the blade off his anvil to study it. He smiles at the halfling as he passes her the sword.

“Give that a try. Come back if you need anything else.”

She moves off to the side to examine the blade, allowing Rolan to step up to the forge. He stands, arms crossed, his face flushed as he fixes Dammon with his bright yellow stare.

“Anything I can help you with, Rolan?” the blacksmith prompts.

Rolan sighs. He places his hands carefully on the edge of the anvil, glances again toward the halfling woman, and leans in toward Dammon.

“I need . . . Steel.”

Dammon breathes a good-natured chuckle.

This collection reminds me of a Studio Ghibli movie. If you’d like, you can read it once and enjoy it for the warmth and romance of the domestic, mundane life. That said, However it speaks to the talent of the way the author has that they have managed to create a story that feels so effortlessly natural, yet still includes weight and depth to both the characters and the plot is truly remarkable.

The series begins with You, Blinding Like The Sun. 

We dive into Astarion’s feelings and conflict in the early days of his relationship with Tav. The feelings are new, and difficult to manage. We can see some initial comparisons with Cazador here as Astarion sees Tav as some perfect being he cannot hope to emulate, someone superior to him. He creates his own power imbalance because he doesn’t know any other option. Astarion has been shoved into the sunlight both literally and figuratively. Overwhelmed by the situation he finds himself in, his immediate response is to lash out. 

As their journey progresses, however, this balance shifts. The author shows the reader the imperfections in both characters and how their relationship adjusts around those personal flaws. 

Astarion decides that Tav is someone he wants to have alongside him through the blinding difficulty and the imperfections. It’s a wonderful beginning to a well-rounded relationship. 

The following two works - Steady Hands, Frame My Love and A Gift That Keeps On Giving - focus on the developing relationship between Astarion and Tav. More specifically, the author demonstrates how the pair navigate complicated situations together. 

The reader sees Astarion’s flaws and Tav’s love for him because of them (rather than in spite of them), with Astarion mirroring the sentiment about the ever imperfect Tav.

You can also see Astarion’s healing with the way he views Tav. There is little focus on appearance, more on the smaller inflections and imperfect edges. After Astarion was used for his good looks so many times, this is a refreshing contrast. The reader can see this in several of the works; as the relationship develops, we can see how they prioritise each other over appearances every time. 

This collection was surprisingly relaxing to read. The work Darling, Mind if I Enjoy Myself? is a lovely smutty treat with no small amount of teasing and fluff. It’s easy enough to enjoy for the smut alone, but a deeper read reveals the depth of their affections for one another and just how much the pair enjoy being together. They are in love, and every moment is drawn out as they relish every moment.

Starlit Skirts is the end of the timeline of this series, but it is not the final story. It’s a beautifully sweet climax, with a lovely surprise at the end. 

The sixth work in the series, The Scent of Missing Buttons, is actually a prequel to the previous five, and touches on the night Astarion was taken by the nautiloid. 

In the prequel, the author shows us Astarion’s life as Cazador’s spawn. Astarion’s trauma is made manifest, reflecting how deeply he has been dehumanised, even to himself, to the point that he scolds himself for not grovelling enough in front of his abuser and tormentor. We are introduced to a version of Astarion that has been shattered into a thousand different pieces over the past two centuries. 

Once you’ve read The Scent of Missing Buttons, the entire story unfurls like a flower in bloom. The writer has sewn links and connections into each work like the pearls on a wedding dress, and you can enjoy finding each Easter egg on your re-read (which I highly recommend). For example, you’ll find a change in sentence structure and shorter paragraph length in The Scent of Missing Buttons. It reflect Astarion’s dissociation and disconnection while under Cazador’s command, his mind numb, focusing only on what is necessary to his survival. In contrast, once Astarion meets Tav, the author’s writing becomes increasingly descriptive and poetic as Astarion starts to see the world with new eyes. The Author’s work is a fascinating example of how even something as simple as formatting and sentence structure can convey depth and nuance. 

As a character, Astarion is remarkably malleable, and I’ve yet to find an interpretation of him that I don’t enjoy. His journey towards a healthy romance with Tav makes for a beautiful story with a great deal of depth, akin to a thousand fragile threads linking together with the strength of steel and creating a beautiful tapestry of their love for one another. 

With the work’s excellent depiction of Astarion’s struggle to survive, his panic in a new relationship and the active choice he makes to choose loving Tav over fearing Cazador, I would happily read each chapter again and again.

Not to be outdone with the already excellent six works I've already mentioned, emicha has now added a seventh work (published only a few days ago) that I have yet to read, namely Springtime Caresses. If it is anything like its predecessors, I absolutely can't wait to sink my teeth into it.

We have included a snippet of the first work in the series below for your enjoyment. As always, please remember to support the author's work with comments and kudos. 🫶

----------------

You, Blinding Like the Sun

He despises you.

From the moment Astarion first laid eyes upon you—confident, selfless little elf, blinding like the sun—he has despised you. You with your dazzling golden eyes, the sweet flush on the tip of your pointy ears. Your artfully arranged hair, kissed by the sun to make it shine like fine silk. The cute little freckles sprinkled all over your unmarred skin—skin that has never been touched by undesired hands. You who lived long enough to choose a name for yourself—to make a name for yourself.

How he despises all of it.

The way you win anyone over with nothing but an honest smile; the sheer purpose in your every step. That nasty confidence of yours that isn't some skill you ever needed to acquire because, to you, it comes all-natural, of course—you were born with it. Astarion can tell it's true because he’s spent two centuries mimicking the behaviour of people just like you.

And he despises you for it.

Before you were even born, the gods have bestowed their gifts on you, and here you are, not even knowing what power you hold, how very blessed you are. You wouldn’t even care if you knew, because the fact of the matter is that you have no need for gods nor gifts nor skills. Not when people gravitate towards you as if you have hung the stars. And how dreadfully inviting you always are, so very accommodating.

You can find the entire series here on AO3.