Title: The Pleiades by astraplain
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: Florian/Ray
Categories: mystery, angst, hurt/comfort, BDSM
Length: Epic (~51,000 words)
Warnings: non-explicit references to pre-story rape; some encoding errors (not a ton, but noticeable)

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
When Ray drags Florian and Laila to Brussels to steal some sapphires for a "working vacation", it sounds like a fun way to recover from the last gem theft "business trip". Instead it turns into a trip of horrors, with an overbearing Countess trying to marry off Florian (or Ray. She's not picky), Noir-imposters stealing gems left right and center (and, to Ray's indignation, without a *hint* of class), various attempts on Florian's life, and (most bizarrely) money and sapphires being thrown randomly at Florian (in some cases literally).

Epic, well-written, intricately plotted Gorgeous Carat fic doesn't come along every day, so I was thrilled to discover this mystery story. The mystery itself is layered and engaging, with lots of twists and turns (and gemstones). You also have great characterizations that seems very much inline with what (little) I know of canon. Ray and Florian's relationship is especially well done -- I'm not usually a fan of BDSM relationships, but canonically it makes a lot of sense and it works in this fic. Frankly, the fact that astraplain keeps the BDSM in the bedroom probably makes this fic less kinky than the actual canon.

If you like long, interesting mysteries and have any knowledge of or interest in Gorgeous Carat, you'll enjoy this fic.

The Pleiades

Title: The Pleiades by astraplain
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: Florian/Ray
Categories: mystery, angst, hurt/comfort, BDSM
Length: Epic (~51,000 words)
Warnings: non-explicit references to pre-story rape; some encoding errors (not a ton, but noticeable)

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
When Ray drags Florian and Laila to Brussels to steal some sapphires for a "working vacation", it sounds like a fun way to recover from the last gem theft "business trip". Instead it turns into a trip of horrors, with an overbearing Countess trying to marry off Florian (or Ray. She's not picky), Noir-imposters stealing gems left right and center (and, to Ray's indignation, without a *hint* of class), various attempts on Florian's life, and (most bizarrely) money and sapphires being thrown randomly at Florian (in some cases literally).

Epic, well-written, intricately plotted Gorgeous Carat fic doesn't come along every day, so I was thrilled to discover this mystery story. The mystery itself is layered and engaging, with lots of twists and turns (and gemstones). You also have great characterizations that seems very much inline with what (little) I know of canon. Ray and Florian's relationship is especially well done -- I'm not usually a fan of BDSM relationships, but canonically it makes a lot of sense and it works in this fic. Frankly, the fact that astraplain keeps the BDSM in the bedroom probably makes this fic less kinky than the actual canon.

If you like long, interesting mysteries and have any knowledge of or interest in Gorgeous Carat, you'll enjoy this fic.

The Pleiades

Title: The Pleiades by astraplain
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: Florian/Ray
Categories: mystery, angst, hurt/comfort, BDSM
Length: Epic (~51,000 words)
Warnings: non-explicit references to pre-story rape; some encoding errors (not a ton, but noticeable)

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
When Ray drags Florian and Laila to Brussels to steal some sapphires for a "working vacation", it sounds like a fun way to recover from the last gem theft "business trip". Instead it turns into a trip of horrors, with an overbearing Countess trying to marry off Florian (or Ray. She's not picky), Noir-imposters stealing gems left right and center (and, to Ray's indignation, without a *hint* of class), various attempts on Florian's life, and (most bizarrely) money and sapphires being thrown randomly at Florian (in some cases literally).

Epic, well-written, intricately plotted Gorgeous Carat fic doesn't come along every day, so I was thrilled to discover this mystery story. The mystery itself is layered and engaging, with lots of twists and turns (and gemstones). You also have great characterizations that seems very much inline with what (little) I know of canon. Ray and Florian's relationship is especially well done -- I'm not usually a fan of BDSM relationships, but canonically it makes a lot of sense and it works in this fic. Frankly, the fact that astraplain keeps the BDSM in the bedroom probably makes this fic less kinky than the actual canon.

If you like long, interesting mysteries and have any knowledge of or interest in Gorgeous Carat, you'll enjoy this fic.

The Pleiades

Title: The Pleiades by astraplain
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: Florian/Ray
Categories: mystery, angst, hurt/comfort, BDSM
Length: Epic (~51,000 words)
Warnings: non-explicit references to pre-story rape; some encoding errors (not a ton, but noticeable)

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
When Ray drags Florian and Laila to Brussels to steal some sapphires for a "working vacation", it sounds like a fun way to recover from the last gem theft "business trip". Instead it turns into a trip of horrors, with an overbearing Countess trying to marry off Florian (or Ray. She's not picky), Noir-imposters stealing gems left right and center (and, to Ray's indignation, without a *hint* of class), various attempts on Florian's life, and (most bizarrely) money and sapphires being thrown randomly at Florian (in some cases literally).

Epic, well-written, intricately plotted Gorgeous Carat fic doesn't come along every day, so I was thrilled to discover this mystery story. The mystery itself is layered and engaging, with lots of twists and turns (and gemstones). You also have great characterizations that seems very much inline with what (little) I know of canon. Ray and Florian's relationship is especially well done -- I'm not usually a fan of BDSM relationships, but canonically it makes a lot of sense and it works in this fic. Frankly, the fact that astraplain keeps the BDSM in the bedroom probably makes this fic less kinky than the actual canon.

If you like long, interesting mysteries and have any knowledge of or interest in Gorgeous Carat, you'll enjoy this fic.

The Pleiades

Title: The Pleiades by astraplain
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: Florian/Ray
Categories: mystery, angst, hurt/comfort, BDSM
Length: Epic (~51,000 words)
Warnings: non-explicit references to pre-story rape; some encoding errors (not a ton, but noticeable)

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
When Ray drags Florian and Laila to Brussels to steal some sapphires for a "working vacation", it sounds like a fun way to recover from the last gem theft "business trip". Instead it turns into a trip of horrors, with an overbearing Countess trying to marry off Florian (or Ray. She's not picky), Noir-imposters stealing gems left right and center (and, to Ray's indignation, without a *hint* of class), various attempts on Florian's life, and (most bizarrely) money and sapphires being thrown randomly at Florian (in some cases literally).

Epic, well-written, intricately plotted Gorgeous Carat fic doesn't come along every day, so I was thrilled to discover this mystery story. The mystery itself is layered and engaging, with lots of twists and turns (and gemstones). You also have great characterizations that seems very much inline with what (little) I know of canon. Ray and Florian's relationship is especially well done -- I'm not usually a fan of BDSM relationships, but canonically it makes a lot of sense and it works in this fic. Frankly, the fact that astraplain keeps the BDSM in the bedroom probably makes this fic less kinky than the actual canon.

If you like long, interesting mysteries and have any knowledge of or interest in Gorgeous Carat, you'll enjoy this fic.

The Pleiades

Title: The Pleiades by astraplain
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: Florian/Ray
Categories: mystery, angst, hurt/comfort, BDSM
Length: Epic (~51,000 words)
Warnings: non-explicit references to pre-story rape; some encoding errors (not a ton, but noticeable)

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
When Ray drags Florian and Laila to Brussels to steal some sapphires for a "working vacation", it sounds like a fun way to recover from the last gem theft "business trip". Instead it turns into a trip of horrors, with an overbearing Countess trying to marry off Florian (or Ray. She's not picky), Noir-imposters stealing gems left right and center (and, to Ray's indignation, without a *hint* of class), various attempts on Florian's life, and (most bizarrely) money and sapphires being thrown randomly at Florian (in some cases literally).

Epic, well-written, intricately plotted Gorgeous Carat fic doesn't come along every day, so I was thrilled to discover this mystery story. The mystery itself is layered and engaging, with lots of twists and turns (and gemstones). You also have great characterizations that seems very much inline with what (little) I know of canon. Ray and Florian's relationship is especially well done -- I'm not usually a fan of BDSM relationships, but canonically it makes a lot of sense and it works in this fic. Frankly, the fact that astraplain keeps the BDSM in the bedroom probably makes this fic less kinky than the actual canon.

If you like long, interesting mysteries and have any knowledge of or interest in Gorgeous Carat, you'll enjoy this fic.

The Pleiades

#4

Title: Black Cat Missing by Arwensong
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: (mostly) gen
Categories: action, angst, hurt/comfort, amnesia
Length: Long (~20,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: n/a

Review:
When Ray goes missing in England, Florian and Laila ask Solomon Sugar to help search for him. Imagine Sugar's surprise when he finds Ray wandering through the streets of Liverpool, completely without memory of his life after the age of fourteen.

This is one of the best Gorgeous Carat fics I've ever read, with all of my favorite GC tropes (both rare and not): Sugar and Ray's growing friendship! Florian kicking ass! Laila being Laila! Eeeeevil Azura! If you like your Ray to be a bit vulnerable, your Florian to be canonically delicate without being a wilting flower, and Laila being fabulously in character, this is the fic for you.

Black Cat Missing (ff.net)

#4

Title: Black Cat Missing by Arwensong
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: (mostly) gen
Categories: action, angst, hurt/comfort, amnesia
Length: Long (~20,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: n/a

Review:
When Ray goes missing in England, Florian and Laila ask Solomon Sugar to help search for him. Imagine Sugar's surprise when he finds Ray wandering through the streets of Liverpool, completely without memory of his life after the age of fourteen.

This is one of the best Gorgeous Carat fics I've ever read, with all of my favorite GC tropes (both rare and not): Sugar and Ray's growing friendship! Florian kicking ass! Laila being Laila! Eeeeevil Azura! If you like your Ray to be a bit vulnerable, your Florian to be canonically delicate without being a wilting flower, and Laila being fabulously in character, this is the fic for you.

Black Cat Missing (ff.net)

#4

Title: Black Cat Missing by Arwensong
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: (mostly) gen
Categories: action, angst, hurt/comfort, amnesia
Length: Long (~20,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: n/a

Review:
When Ray goes missing in England, Florian and Laila ask Solomon Sugar to help search for him. Imagine Sugar's surprise when he finds Ray wandering through the streets of Liverpool, completely without memory of his life after the age of fourteen.

This is one of the best Gorgeous Carat fics I've ever read, with all of my favorite GC tropes (both rare and not): Sugar and Ray's growing friendship! Florian kicking ass! Laila being Laila! Eeeeevil Azura! If you like your Ray to be a bit vulnerable, your Florian to be canonically delicate without being a wilting flower, and Laila being fabulously in character, this is the fic for you.

Black Cat Missing (ff.net)

#4

Title: Black Cat Missing by Arwensong
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: (mostly) gen
Categories: action, angst, hurt/comfort, amnesia
Length: Long (~20,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: n/a

Review:
When Ray goes missing in England, Florian and Laila ask Solomon Sugar to help search for him. Imagine Sugar's surprise when he finds Ray wandering through the streets of Liverpool, completely without memory of his life after the age of fourteen.

This is one of the best Gorgeous Carat fics I've ever read, with all of my favorite GC tropes (both rare and not): Sugar and Ray's growing friendship! Florian kicking ass! Laila being Laila! Eeeeevil Azura! If you like your Ray to be a bit vulnerable, your Florian to be canonically delicate without being a wilting flower, and Laila being fabulously in character, this is the fic for you.

Black Cat Missing (ff.net)

#4

Title: Black Cat Missing by Arwensong
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: (mostly) gen
Categories: action, angst, hurt/comfort, amnesia
Length: Long (~20,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: n/a

Review:
When Ray goes missing in England, Florian and Laila ask Solomon Sugar to help search for him. Imagine Sugar's surprise when he finds Ray wandering through the streets of Liverpool, completely without memory of his life after the age of fourteen.

This is one of the best Gorgeous Carat fics I've ever read, with all of my favorite GC tropes (both rare and not): Sugar and Ray's growing friendship! Florian kicking ass! Laila being Laila! Eeeeevil Azura! If you like your Ray to be a bit vulnerable, your Florian to be canonically delicate without being a wilting flower, and Laila being fabulously in character, this is the fic for you.

Black Cat Missing (ff.net)

#4

Title: Black Cat Missing by Arwensong
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: (mostly) gen
Categories: action, angst, hurt/comfort, amnesia
Length: Long (~20,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: n/a

Review:
When Ray goes missing in England, Florian and Laila ask Solomon Sugar to help search for him. Imagine Sugar's surprise when he finds Ray wandering through the streets of Liverpool, completely without memory of his life after the age of fourteen.

This is one of the best Gorgeous Carat fics I've ever read, with all of my favorite GC tropes (both rare and not): Sugar and Ray's growing friendship! Florian kicking ass! Laila being Laila! Eeeeevil Azura! If you like your Ray to be a bit vulnerable, your Florian to be canonically delicate without being a wilting flower, and Laila being fabulously in character, this is the fic for you.

Black Cat Missing (ff.net)

Title: The Gifts of the Magi by Arwensong
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: Ray/Florian
Categories: fluff, romance, established relationship
Length: Medium (~8,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a?

Review:
Shortly before their five-year anniversary, Florian and Ray decide to take a page out of O'Henry's "Gift of the Magi" and try to find the perfect gift for each other.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Gorgeous Carat. On the one hand, it has the potential to be a Marriage of Convenience fandom (if you are of a romantic bent), which is one of my favorite genres. On the other hand, there's apparently canonical torture between the main characters (at least in the beginning of their relationship) that often bleeds into the fanfic and that is not my cup of tea at all.

The Gifts of the Magi does a good job of presenting a relationship that might've started out unequal, but which has grown into a loving partnership of mutual trust and affection. Florian and Ray both are willing to compromise and sacrifice for each other, and even when they're fighting it's clear that they love each other. The titular gifts are ones that I would've never thought of myself, but which perfectly fit the characters and are guaranteed to put a sappy smile on your face.

If you like Gorgeous Carat fic without the slavery angle (or if you like fluffy established relationship fics), you'll definitely find something to enjoy in this little gem of a story (pun completely intended).

The Gifts of the Magi

Title: The Gifts of the Magi by Arwensong
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: Ray/Florian
Categories: fluff, romance, established relationship
Length: Medium (~8,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a?

Review:
Shortly before their five-year anniversary, Florian and Ray decide to take a page out of O'Henry's "Gift of the Magi" and try to find the perfect gift for each other.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Gorgeous Carat. On the one hand, it has the potential to be a Marriage of Convenience fandom (if you are of a romantic bent), which is one of my favorite genres. On the other hand, there's apparently canonical torture between the main characters (at least in the beginning of their relationship) that often bleeds into the fanfic and that is not my cup of tea at all.

The Gifts of the Magi does a good job of presenting a relationship that might've started out unequal, but which has grown into a loving partnership of mutual trust and affection. Florian and Ray both are willing to compromise and sacrifice for each other, and even when they're fighting it's clear that they love each other. The titular gifts are ones that I would've never thought of myself, but which perfectly fit the characters and are guaranteed to put a sappy smile on your face.

If you like Gorgeous Carat fic without the slavery angle (or if you like fluffy established relationship fics), you'll definitely find something to enjoy in this little gem of a story (pun completely intended).

The Gifts of the Magi

Title: The Gifts of the Magi by Arwensong
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: Ray/Florian
Categories: fluff, romance, established relationship
Length: Medium (~8,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a?

Review:
Shortly before their five-year anniversary, Florian and Ray decide to take a page out of O'Henry's "Gift of the Magi" and try to find the perfect gift for each other.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Gorgeous Carat. On the one hand, it has the potential to be a Marriage of Convenience fandom (if you are of a romantic bent), which is one of my favorite genres. On the other hand, there's apparently canonical torture between the main characters (at least in the beginning of their relationship) that often bleeds into the fanfic and that is not my cup of tea at all.

The Gifts of the Magi does a good job of presenting a relationship that might've started out unequal, but which has grown into a loving partnership of mutual trust and affection. Florian and Ray both are willing to compromise and sacrifice for each other, and even when they're fighting it's clear that they love each other. The titular gifts are ones that I would've never thought of myself, but which perfectly fit the characters and are guaranteed to put a sappy smile on your face.

If you like Gorgeous Carat fic without the slavery angle (or if you like fluffy established relationship fics), you'll definitely find something to enjoy in this little gem of a story (pun completely intended).

The Gifts of the Magi

Title: The Gifts of the Magi by Arwensong
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: Ray/Florian
Categories: fluff, romance, established relationship
Length: Medium (~8,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a?

Review:
Shortly before their five-year anniversary, Florian and Ray decide to take a page out of O'Henry's "Gift of the Magi" and try to find the perfect gift for each other.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Gorgeous Carat. On the one hand, it has the potential to be a Marriage of Convenience fandom (if you are of a romantic bent), which is one of my favorite genres. On the other hand, there's apparently canonical torture between the main characters (at least in the beginning of their relationship) that often bleeds into the fanfic and that is not my cup of tea at all.

The Gifts of the Magi does a good job of presenting a relationship that might've started out unequal, but which has grown into a loving partnership of mutual trust and affection. Florian and Ray both are willing to compromise and sacrifice for each other, and even when they're fighting it's clear that they love each other. The titular gifts are ones that I would've never thought of myself, but which perfectly fit the characters and are guaranteed to put a sappy smile on your face.

If you like Gorgeous Carat fic without the slavery angle (or if you like fluffy established relationship fics), you'll definitely find something to enjoy in this little gem of a story (pun completely intended).

The Gifts of the Magi

Title: The Gifts of the Magi by Arwensong
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: Ray/Florian
Categories: fluff, romance, established relationship
Length: Medium (~8,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a?

Review:
Shortly before their five-year anniversary, Florian and Ray decide to take a page out of O'Henry's "Gift of the Magi" and try to find the perfect gift for each other.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Gorgeous Carat. On the one hand, it has the potential to be a Marriage of Convenience fandom (if you are of a romantic bent), which is one of my favorite genres. On the other hand, there's apparently canonical torture between the main characters (at least in the beginning of their relationship) that often bleeds into the fanfic and that is not my cup of tea at all.

The Gifts of the Magi does a good job of presenting a relationship that might've started out unequal, but which has grown into a loving partnership of mutual trust and affection. Florian and Ray both are willing to compromise and sacrifice for each other, and even when they're fighting it's clear that they love each other. The titular gifts are ones that I would've never thought of myself, but which perfectly fit the characters and are guaranteed to put a sappy smile on your face.

If you like Gorgeous Carat fic without the slavery angle (or if you like fluffy established relationship fics), you'll definitely find something to enjoy in this little gem of a story (pun completely intended).

The Gifts of the Magi

Title: The Gifts of the Magi by Arwensong
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: Ray/Florian
Categories: fluff, romance, established relationship
Length: Medium (~8,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a?

Review:
Shortly before their five-year anniversary, Florian and Ray decide to take a page out of O'Henry's "Gift of the Magi" and try to find the perfect gift for each other.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Gorgeous Carat. On the one hand, it has the potential to be a Marriage of Convenience fandom (if you are of a romantic bent), which is one of my favorite genres. On the other hand, there's apparently canonical torture between the main characters (at least in the beginning of their relationship) that often bleeds into the fanfic and that is not my cup of tea at all.

The Gifts of the Magi does a good job of presenting a relationship that might've started out unequal, but which has grown into a loving partnership of mutual trust and affection. Florian and Ray both are willing to compromise and sacrifice for each other, and even when they're fighting it's clear that they love each other. The titular gifts are ones that I would've never thought of myself, but which perfectly fit the characters and are guaranteed to put a sappy smile on your face.

If you like Gorgeous Carat fic without the slavery angle (or if you like fluffy established relationship fics), you'll definitely find something to enjoy in this little gem of a story (pun completely intended).

The Gifts of the Magi