Nicholai waiting patiently for the SAM's Chiten to drop

The learning process was just me being a small victorian child begging for scraps and someone swooping in and taking me to an all-you-can-eat buffet at Las Vegas
They carried my ass so hard 😭

Wig-o-ween closeups!
(Set 2/2)

They're my creatures!!!!

bonus cheese pov

Frankie the "Tiny" Rat:
- obtained from shady Ul'Dah merchant (Nicholai knew it was a scam but wanted him anyway)
- canonically lives inside Nicholai's inventory rent-free
- is no longer tiny, became NYC rat-sized after eating the food in there

CHEESE the Direwolf:
- received from Ehcatl Nine as a gift for helping them
- instantly pounced on Nicholai on first meeting and ate all the cheese in his bag
- very loyal yet hyperactive creature with an eternal need for zoomies

Squeak the Coyote:
- was up as a last-minute prize at the Wolves' Den, Nicholai immediately beat everyone to a pulp to obtain him
- very shy and very sneaky
- is Nicholai's special baby and he loves to dress him up

wehhhh ty bestie....... 😭😭

I've been writing these for like an hour I think I need to stop LOL

GUARDIAN is something I imagine for his last fight against Zenos in EW.
His DRK soul stone tends to split him up into two; one side being his bitter hatred and grief, the other being his selfish desires and earnest hopes.
It's a 2v1 against the face of everything they despise.
youtu.be/nP9mB1sVJz4

Second Sanctuary is definitely for current Nicholai. This song to me feels like someone who is "persisting through trauma"; they're suffering so much, but they're doing their best to live on in spite of that.
"Life will only get worse for me, but I don't really care anymore."
youtu.be/Jp7kfYH4VaE

SWORD fits Nicholai the most during ARR/HW; he escaped the empire and became an adventurer, though he finds that not much has changed for him. He is still merely a blade to be directed, especially after joining the scions. The heroic yet melanchonic melody really fits him here.
youtu.be/KAtudLu42vA

Additionally, if you uncheck the "Look at target when speaking" box, it stops the camera from doing that sudden turn when you interact with NPCs or objects in the overworld!

Island Sanctuary grinding used to trigger my motion sickness bc the camera would twist for *every* gathering node...

Water: "It's constantly emitting the most crisp, clean water. I like it, but I only have one every once in awhile. I can only drink so much, you know!"
Wind: "My personal favorite! It's similar to Ice in a way, but more akin to the fresh taste of mint. It ends up leaving my mouth very dry, though."

Lightning: "An... aquired taste, to be sure. In a small dose, it has a unique popping sensation, but anything more than a shard just tastes like pain."
Earth: "Tastes like an old cup of tea; that is to say, dirt. Though, if I could brew it and add honey, I think it would be quite lovely!"

[Offical Nicholai reviews that he ranted to Tataru about]
Fire: "You could pop a flaming hot coal in your mouth and get the same experience I did. The worst part was that it wasn't even spicy! Terrible!"
Ice: "A refreshing treat for a hot summers day! A real lifesaver when I trek through Thanalan."