Fic Rec Fridays 2020 - part 34

As Every Color Illuminates (3139 words) by mithrilbikini
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Dwalin/Thorin Oakenshield
Characters: Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield, Dwalin (Tolkien)
Additional Tags: Illustrations, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, a combination of fic and art, that soulmate trope where people can't see color until they meet their soulmate
Summary:

One of the many well-kept secrets of Dwarfkind was this: their children were born unable to see color. Now, one might think a lack of color vision is a handicap, or at least, would make working with precious stones very difficult! But luckily, this affliction is not a permanent one. For you see, a Dwarf will live their formative years in a monochrome haze until the day they find their soul match. Then, and only then, will the veil of grey be lifted, and the true colors of the world revealed.

---

This is really rather self-explanatory. Soulmate fics are my jam, and this particular trope with colours even more so. And then there’s this story that not only applies those parameters to one of my fave polyships, but is also gorgeously and atmospherically illustrated... Which is why I’m sitting here scratching my head and wondering why on earth have I not recced this before. (Though I was reading a LOT of fic around the time this was first posted. Sometimes gems fall through the cracks.)

But I’m recommending this now! Style-wise, the prose is pure and enchanted fairytale stuff, and a delight to read. And the art doesn’t merely illustrate the text: it enhances and augments it, providing poignant emotional emphasis at key points of the narrative. Not to mention it also takes full advantage of the inherently visual nature of the colour trope.

And the love story, you want me to tell you about the love story? Well, if I say it’s a happily ever after, I’m not spoiling too much, am I? In short, this is a pretty and poignant piece of romantic fluff, perfect for all occasions calling for some light escapism. (Which is, to be frank, any time of the day.)