nicotinemaiden

[nicotinemaiden]

She had always believed no poison could slip past her defences, let alone seep insidiously into her veins. She had been trained for it, she had suffered and memorised all possible combinations of harmful herbs and potions known to her race. It was impossible.  She had, however, failed to account for how the most lethal of toxins often lie hidden beneath the most alluring, vibrant, and tender flowers. She had spent almost a year caressing each of those petals and now she was surprised to notice how they had burned her hands. To acknowledge how they had slowly settled into each of her veins and were rotting her from the inside. To realise how he had become the only poison she not only accepted but craved, the one venom she would, any time she could, drink eagerly, despite knowing the cost — waiting for that same toxin to become her remedy.

If you want to read more this is an extract from next chapter of Hedgehog's dilemma, my ongoing longfic (>200k words atm): a possesive love triangle between Gale, Astarion and Stengah, a Sorceress Tav.

🔞It's very explicit for a number of reasons. Touches and experiments with really dark themes so please make sure you read the tags on AO3 before reading!

[nicotinemaiden]

pure unabashed thirst post because it's just been a f'n day tbqh

[nicotinemaiden]

Been slowly rotating chapter 136 in my head since it dropped and I know I’m not the only one.

I just need to talk about Shirayuki in this sceneeeee.

She obviously just stuck her neck out for Obi, like completely. Putting away her slight embarrassment knowing Obi heard everything, what we get is her trepidation. She’s treading so carefully. She knows Obi’s allergy to anything intimate like the back of her hand. She can sense something brewing inside him and quickly trades gawkishness for a cheery inviting smile

But uhhh him approaching her? She knows Obi so well, yes, but she doesn’t know how he will react in a situation like this. Normally he’d have cracked a joke and nipped any chance at intimacy in the bud. Clearly this is going to be different. Going to be new.

She is so so affected. How could she not be? This is brand new territory for both of them after establishing Their Norm years ago. She understands deeply how monumental this is, how vulnerable he’s being.

((The fact that they’re breaching new territory is why I especially adore the imagery of them approaching eachother, closing such a distance silently only to stop short of eachother, riiight at the precipice.))

…And she knows him well enough to speak his language. She hugs him back delicately as if not to alarm him, and immediately follows up with an Obi-ism, no doubt for his sake:

Lightening the atmosphere of an emotionally charged situation. He has closed the distance and she has reciprocated. She understands him. She accepts him.

This whole exchange just so beautifully illustrates the chemistry between these two and I’m just rly looking forward to seeing their dynamic shift with this development

[nicotinemaiden]

Following a discussion I've seen on another site:

Spending three weeks crafting a wonderful and long chapter for my longfic for it to attract some attention (aka a couple kudos and two comments) the first day is posted and absolutely nothing more feels unrewarding and disheartening.

Luckily it doesn't feels unfulfilling because I wanted to see that chapter done, I wanted to read it myself. But, sometimes, the act of sharing it, the fact that I expect other people to appreciate it too instead of simply reading it and keeping to themselves, treating my work as a given, doesn't feels worthwhile.

Why are we used to give thanks to people for their paid work (which absolutely deserves our gratitude, I fully agree) yet most people ignore the fact that, while reading a fanfic, you are getting content absolutely free?! For most people our free work doesn't deserve recognition, after all it's free and it's already online so, why bother?

Well, behind every fanfic you skim trough while you're bored, behind every one that has kept you awake at night because you needed just one more chapter there's someone that has poured days, months and even years of their life into giving you such an experience.

If some of us are even thanking Alexa or Google when they help with inquiries, we can make the effort to thank a real person who gifts upon us entertainment and depthly written stories completely for free.

[nicotinemaiden]

tempest prints | join patreon for this month's Rogue Trader themed print club!

[nicotinemaiden]

mutuals always making masterpieces and I think wow. and you're following me too. wild stuff

[nicotinemaiden]

I just... opened a BlueSky to talk about the fics and videogames etcetera.

I have no idea how it works but I've seen a lot of people trying it so I wanted to give it a go.

Give me a shoutout if you follow so I can follow back and, of course, any tips are welcome (I was on Twitter for 12 years before I got fed up and abandoned it completely so it kinds of scares me lol)

[nicotinemaiden]

THEYRE SO LAMEEEE

[nicotinemaiden]

Wizards in loveee...

[nicotinemaiden]

"Quiet now, wizard."

[nicotinemaiden]

commission for @lady-sapphyre

Elerra x Dark Gale

[nicotinemaiden]

my roman empire is marazhai being down bad for the rogue trader even before act 4

[nicotinemaiden]

"But as we all know, nymphs are sticklers when it comes to their bathing routines. You, my friend, haven't been near a fresh spring in a tenday or more. Not that I don't appreciate your... musk. I actually rather like it."

"..."

"... Well, this seems as good a time as any for me to stop babbling on."

[nicotinemaiden]

I already made a similar post of them being similar last year but with different pics, so this is Obiyuki being similar/thinking the same part 2. 🫶🏽

[nicotinemaiden]

[nicotinemaiden]

If you're thinking of picking up Dragon Age: Veilguard because you like the gameplay and skill tree and care little for the dialogues, the connection with characters and the personalities of your companions, go ahead, you're going to have an amazing time. It's really fun.

If you need the events of the story, the companions and the romances/relationships to be fleshed out and to feel they have some weight — basically if you're thinking you need a small change from Baldur's Gate 3 but want something on the line, this game is not it.

Rook feels disconnected from their own companions and story, the dialogues are watered down to the point there's more water than dialogue, it feels like its afraid to allow the player to make choices with any significant consequence.

I understand not everything need to be Baldur's Gate 3. I LOVED Inquisition back in the day and the original trilogy of Mass Effect is absolutely perfect to me. Extremely so. I replay it every couple of years.

This... This is not it. This doesn't have the charisma or the interest I found in the people who accompanied me to those other adventures. In this one I feel like a plot device rather than another member of the party.

And it has been so incredibly disappointing.

[nicotinemaiden]

when u like a character for their potential to be interesting and complex more than how they’re actually written