#𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐙𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐓 : independent, highly selective & private MULTIMUSE. featuring characters from literature, video games & original work. written by flora (28, she/they ) . gmt +1 .
affiliated with @surfaceetched / @captainewyork, @bybear, @pirkstein / @bysoleil, @chivalrik
exploring themes of: destruction & (re)birth, self discovery, healing, rising from the ashes, quiet rebellion.
once again having many emotions about Klara reaching out the her family, at least to her brother and sister, to find out if she could get any help from them after fleeing from the convent. And how a part of her knew they wouldn’t help but another stupid, hopeful part still wished they would. But she never got any answer. Only the silence that told her that her family would rather pretend she’d never existed than live with the shame of a disgraced nun in their noble line. And that was when she knew she would never be Elžka again and remain Klara.
basically this goes specifically for my k.cd muses Klara & Pippa, but also generally for the setting of the game, so you can also request Wilhelm to get one over at @ritterlich ✨
honestly? I’m just a ball of stress & anxiety rn trying to cope with my current workload & trying to get things done before my vacation next week. So if I’m pretty quiet that’s the reason. I’ll do my best to be back soon ❤️
the following is a collection of sentence starters from larian’s baldur’s gate 3. part 2.
look at me - i’m not a monster.
stay back. i don’t want to hurt you, but i will.
no. you’re not one of them at all.
i was ready to run you through. my mistake, friend.
that’s far enough. what’s your business down here?
you revealed our location? that tongue gets any looser, (name), and i’ll cut it out.
reckon i might miss this place.
this place is more dangerous than i thought.
well, don’t you cut a fine figure.
sometimes i’m jealous of that girl. ugh - to feel so invincible again.
in your expert opinion, what’s the best way to kill a devil?
i’m certain there are answers out there. we’ll find them together.
there’s no story. none that you’re entitled to hear, anyway.
you can tolerate a great deal of suffering, so long as it has meaning.
until then, all i can do is endure.
please try to understand that it’s not something i can just talk about freely.
perhaps there’s potential in you.
honestly, your faith is your own concern. i won’t judge, one way or the other.
i think i did well by joining you.
you already know my biggest secrets. what more can you ask?
that wall’s an illusion! hiding what, i wonder …
sun, moon, and stars will still be there, waiting for us.
this place is pretty spectacular, isn’t it?
no book or painting could ever do its strange beauty justice.
a perfect ring of mushrooms … nature, or magic?
hmm. i thought that might’ve done something.
another illusion. is anything real down here?
i’m more concerned with this ‘twit’ who set a spectator on you.
a rival - a mere footnote to my legend. you should be more concerned with who i am.
the fools must have turned back. or, better yet, died in the search.
i need no more rivals. try to take this as a compliment, yes?
this presence … this magic is not divine, but fey.
little? i am a god! and i’m gonna rip you - tear you - wear you for a hat -
don’t do anything hasty, now.
i’ll just kill you and claim it for myself.
i’m the lord of murder - i’ll show you why.
if you’re expecting me to drop to my knees before you, forget it.
a wizard’s tower is his sanctum, a private place for research and respite. but as this wizard’s not home … i say we take a peek.
a strange place for a button. especially one that doesn’t work.
what good would it do for me to be troubled? we can’t save them all.
you’ll have to speak slowly. i find it quite difficult to concentrate with my condition gnawing at my insides like a teething displacer kitten.
the whole village is falling to pieces …
hey, maybe we can scare up a few dusty bottles of wine somewhere.
i like your way of thinking. split any takings we find?
what creatures live in water this dark?
i’m a rabid dirty dog. and i bite.
i could’ve killed you before you even noticed me, but i didn’t. stand down.
i can be discreet. no need for bloodshed.
share? you really are in the wrong place.
a bleeding heart, are you? reckon i’ll just roast and eat it.
what in the hells did you do to that corpse?
you do plenty for me, more than you realize. but this cannot be remedied.
are you alright? is there anything i can do to help you?
enough. bickering won’t save your friend.
run away, then.
(name) - i was so worried! did they hurt you?
who cares? we’re together now, thank gods!
i’m grateful, don’t mistake me, but … why help us?
freeze it, cock-stench. we aren’t done just yet.
pay up, and you get to skink away. resist, and i gut you.
drop it. i don’t owe you anything.
your incompetence has been my ruin.
stop! no more innocents will die today, (name).
you care for the weak. most curious.
you so much as touch me, and i’ll tear you from limb to limb.
ah - another treacherous soul walks among us.
i ain’t going down easy.
you been a shit since i laid eyes on you, (name).
strike him down. prove your faith.
your silence speaks to your heresy.
look, you have no idea what you’re dealing with …
it’s the whole damn reason we’re here, and i’m not leaving without it.
the mission comes first.
and i thought i’d heard it all. that’s some cambion-level deception.
i go where there’s shit to stir. and there’s no shortage of options.
i can’t remember much, truth be told.
centuries of torment will do that to you.
you’ve been naughty. and you know what happens when you’re naughty.
just who in the nine hells are you?
well, well. aren’t you a luscious thing?
been a long time since someone stuck their neck out for me like that.
you have a manner of irresistible desperation about you. i like it.
you know, i’ve been thinking. and i think there’s something i should tell you. nothing big or terrible, just … a small little detail about me that hasn’t come up naturally.
i want to join you - to fight by your side.
i’m sorry for barging in like this, but i had to come find you.
i won’t let you down. i promise.
we all have our burdens, one way or the other.
i’m trying to say that you’ve earned my trust in a way very few ever have … i want that to mean something.
freedom - i’d forgotten how it felt. thank you.
if you have a moment, i’d like your opinion on something.
the problem is this: a preponderance of evidence that i am a terrible adventurer.
i can’t risk re-capture. i barely escaped last time.
it was a mistake. and not one we’ll repeat.
i don’t know. he was kind of fun.
we can’t just invite danger in to our hearth like that. we must be more careful.
most monsters will think twice before making a meal of me.
an old hunter’s trick - if you can’t mask your scent, spoil it.
i prefer a weapon to stench, thanks.
you’re a monster hunter? not what i imagined.
whatever you’re hunting, your stench alone will kill it.
a quick wit is rare indeed.
know how to ask, and they’ll share that knowledge. if you’re fool enough to pay their price.
speak plainly. what is she?
i think you’re mistaken - this place looks innocent enough.
truth is like a blade, my friend. we can arm ourselves with it - or just as easily find it pressed against our throat.
i would not put you in danger.
your coyness is getting boring. tell me.
you take insult where none is intended, my friend.
how thoroughly invigorating it is to stand by one’s friend in the face of danger.
you best have one hells of an apology for me.
you must have mistaken me for someone else.
that wriggler swimming in your brain juice is a bit of an inconvenience, isn’t it?
that’s none of your concern.
don’t change the subject.
keep that hole under your nose shut.
let’s not involve ourselves in this place any longer than is necessary.
you want to play the hero so badly? fine. let’s make this interesting.
gods, it’s hot in here.
i’ve had better days. and worse ones.
i am, after all, the villain of the tale.
you truly are a soul that steels my own.
you are as thick as they come.
even i am tired of the sound of my own voice.
i stand at a precipice, but if you do not give up hope, neither shall i.
all of this … it must feel like a betrayal.
you bastard! you ruined it, you ruined everything!
slow down - what did i do?
this is an interesting way of thanking me.
i don’t need this. good luck getting out of here on your own.
i know i should head home, but … i can’t bring myself to leave.
(are you alright?) / not even a little bit. but i will be.
she favored me like a child favors a captive pet.
i promise i will not betray your trust.
i cannot thank you enough.
you will face (name)’s judgement.
i wish you could have visited at a better time.
you had no right to intervene.
you’re not one of us.
copper for your thoughts?
always a delight to speak to you.
did i play games like this in my youth? was i sweet once?
what are you doing? i’m busy here!
nothing beats the taste of stolen beer.
come on, now. they’re just having a bit of fun.
let’s do what we have to do, then get out of here.
smell’s like burnt flesh.
hold out your arm so i can mark your flesh.
i’m here to spill your guts across the floor.
pain without purpose is a terrible thing, wouldn’t you agree?
i often feel i like raw pain too much. it scares me.
as long as the story ends in death, it’s all the same to me.
forgive me, but - that look in your eyes. something terrible has happened to you.
what i see in your eyes, in your soul, is only natural.
we’ve all suffered in these dark times. it is little wonder you hear scars of pain and anguish.
touch me and you’ll lose your hand.
the pain you suffer will cleanse you - do not fight it.
you look tired. should i take over?
welcome the pain. let it become part of you.
that looks like it’s going to bruise.
not that i’m suggesting we stop for a drink, of course.
i wouldn’t want to place all my faith in blind luck.
sympathies won’t help me to survive.
your life, much like your words, is meaningless. end the latter to save the former.
looks like the booze got the better of them. they’re practically unconscious.
they’re dying for me. all of them.
why don’t you take a closer look? i’ll observe from back here.
please don’t open the creepy book!
toddlers are easier to please than you lot.
you know, i never pictured myself as a hero.
all i want is a little fun. is that so much to ask?
having performance issues, (name)?
never have i met such troglodytes.
i was hoping you wouldn’t notice i was gone.
i suggest we admire it from afar.
it would be too much to hope that’s nothing to do with us, wouldn’t it?
i go my own way - alone.
i’ll feed your innards to the ants before i do that.
riley can't help but smile ( his mind is fuzzy in the best way , hair slick with sweat ) as he rolls onto his side, taking half the sheets with him. his hand rests on adam's chest and he's almost giddy , given that he'd spent the last twenty years thinking that they'd never get to have this. THAT'S WHEN HE NOTICES HIS BOYFRIEND GLANCE AT THE INSIDE OF HIS WRIST. it's not the first time he's caught adam looking at the tattoo - so he's not surprised when he asks about it.
riley makes a soft sound in the back of his throat and then looks down at his own wrist. "the a is for adam." he admits quietly. "i uh...got really drunk twenty years ago on a night out with the team and....i just...i guess wasted me thought it was a good idea. i woke up the next day and...there it was." & HE'D COVERED IT EVER SINCE , until recently. until he'd finally been able to look at it and love it , instead of hate it.
Nothing compares to this euphoria, every touch, every kiss making Adam feel more alive than he has in years. And this time there’s no voice telling him that loving Riley is wrong when he knows it’s right. There’s no fear and no disdain anymore, only warmth and wondering how he deserves such luck. And as he lies there, exhausted in the best way, his gaze wanders to Riley's wrist and the single letter and this time he asks.
Adam spends another moment looking at the tattoo, trying to process. “That’s … wow.” Carefully he reaches out, brushing a finger over the skin. Of course the thought had come to his mind when he’d first noticed the A, though it has felt like an utterly ridiculous notion. The confirmation makes Adam smile, knowing Riley has carried this permanent reminder the whole time. Though it disappears after a heartbeat, when the full truth hits him: Most of all Riley had carried around a reminder of heartbreak and stolen moments. His arm wraps around Riley, pulling him closer, as if he could protect him from the pain of the past at least now. “You must’ve hated it.” You must’ve hated me.
(this is the version already moving him to the G.ame Changers Universe, but still very spoiler heavy, if you do plan to read the book!)
recently retired captain of the Toronto G.uardians & N.HL All-Star (played defense)
dad of two, also recently divorced
he's a closeted gay man for his whole career (yes, so deep in the closet that he runs away from his feelings & marries a woman)
coming from a family that expects perfection from a young age, Adam grows up under quite a lot of pressure & a deep fear of ever deviating from how the hockey world wants him to be
Adam starts his rookie season with Toronto in 2000 & quickly becomes best friends with his fellow defenseman R.iley Tuck
they live together & become quite a legendary defense duo known as "The Beauty and the Beast" (bc of Adam's elegant skating & Riley's more brutal play/fighting style)
they start hooking up eventually, but while Riley is able to admit his feelings for Adam to himself, Adam tries to keep it all at arm's length & convinces himself he doesn't care (spoiler alert: he does though)
that only works until Riley actually confesses his feelings & Adam reacts in the worst possible way ("we're not like that") & quickly gets into a relationship with a girl called Maggie
when Maggie discovers her pregnancy, they get married & their children Lucy and Cole are born a year apart
at the age of 24 Adam also becomes captain of the Toronto team
denial works well for about 4 years, until the Guardians win the Cup, Adam & Riley both get drunk and sleep together again that night. After that Riley leaves the team & after a last, bad season in Dallas disappears from the radar & from Adam's life completely. Driven by guilt & shame, Adam retreats even more into the performance of the perfect captain, husband and father for the next 10 years (not that he feels particularly successful at any of those)
eventually he admits the truth about his sexuality to both himself & Maggie and they get divorced, but stay good friends. He moves into a house close to her to stay close to her & their teenage kids
after two bad shoulder injuries (he eventually has to get a full replacement) Adam starts seriously considering retirement, only fueled by his frustrations with the hockey world & the league in particular. The nail in the coffin is the accusations against D.allas Kent & the blatant covering up. Adam never liked the guy & as captain pushes to at least get Dallas out of his team, but is met with the usual bullshit about the accusations obviously being lies & that the league won't address them. Then his retirement is suggested & Adam accepts it, feeling tired & disillusioned.
about 2 years later, Adam learns about the passing of Riley's father, a man who's been important to him as well & decides to travel to the funeral in N.ova Scotia. He & Riley reunite & after a lot of tension & Adam trying to prove himself to Riley, they realize that their love never died & finally become a couple.
They go public about a year later & Adam ends up publishing his autobiography, going on book tour & becoming a public voice for change in hockey culture (particularly when it comes to mental health & homophobia). Which is why I can absolutely see him keeping up with the I.rina foundation & Scott's activism.
Once his kids have both left for university, Adam moves in with Riley & lives his best small town life.
a timeline of events (I tried to make it work with the H.R timeline)
1981: Adam (& Riley) are born
2000: their rookie season, they move in together
2003: their first kiss
2004: Adam becomes captain of the Toronto team
2005: Adam marries Maggie, Lucy is born
2006: Cole is born
2010: THE Toronto cup win :))))))
(2017 Admirals win the Cup, S.kip kiss)
2019: Adam & Maggie divorce
2020: Adam retires (D.allas Kent allegations, Troy gets traded to O.ttawa bc of it, Eric also retires)
2022: Harvey’s funeral/The s.hots you take happens
2023: they go public with their relationship, Adam’s inducted in the H.ockey Hall of Fame
2024: Adam’s autobiography gets published, book tour
2025: Cole goes to university, Adam moves in with Riley
sometimes , waking up was the real nightmare. his hand searching for adam and that old panic flooding his veins when he couldn't find him. he sits up , hair sticking up and hands shaking. his eyes sting as he takes a deep breath ( he tries to be logical , adam's probably just making breakfast or walking lucky , like he always does when he stays over now - but his mind doesn't want to believe it ). he struggles to get out of bed , reaching for his robe. the silk is cool against his skin , calming a little but that fear is still there as he stumbles out of exhaustion ( sleep was not always easy ) and heads downstairs , praying his thoughts are not facts.
Riley still appears to be sleeping soundly when Adam gets up and so he slips out quietly to surprise his boyfriend with breakfast in bed. But then Lucky greets him enthusiastically, obviously ready for a morning round, and Adam decides to take him for a short walk down to the beach first. It's nice, getting to enjoy the sea breeze and imagine a near future where he can start every day like this.
When he gets back, Riley is just coming out of the kitchen. “Hey, I was-“ Adam cuts himself off, as he notices the disheveled state Riley’s in, the frantic energy he exudes and the fear in his eyes. He remembers it from a long time ago and his heart sinks. “Riles, what’s wrong?”
thinking about Adam after Riley disappears. Thinking about him hearing the other Toronto players talk about his “derailments”, probably laughing about it & calling him crazy, meanwhile Adam knows about Riley’s mental struggles & knows all too well that what happened between them probably made it worse. Thinking about Adam trying to shut those talks down in the locker room, wishing so badly that he could still be there for Riley like he used to. Thinking about Adam constantly being haunted by what he did after the cup win, the hurt on Riley’s face and his own “this was a mistake. And it never happened” in particular. Thinking about Adam freshly retired & divorced, alone in that big house, suddenly more free & out to his family at least, finally grappling with all those emotions & everything he shoved down for so long, fully realizing what he did to himself & Riley back then. thinking about Adam hearing a certain song or seeing a picture with Riley in the old family album & just breaking down as soon as he’s alone bc he broke the heart of the person he loved most. he lived a lie for over 20 years and not only betrayed himself & made himself unhappy, but others as well.
it's weird - riley's really trying to process this , but having adam shepherd back in his life? sleeping in his guest bedroom? he feels like he's on the edge of spiralling. HAVING TO CONSCIOUSLY REMIND HIMSELF HOW HARD HE'S WORKED TO NOT TOUCH A DROP OF ALCOHOL. it's a lot , dealing with the grief of losing his father , confronting the fact that he's never quite gotten over the guy he'd loved for decades. the fact that very man was now here , after years of no contact. divorced. gay. it's just a lot for riley to process.
maybe that's why he hides in the kitchen , making dinner whilst lucky gives him a judgemental stare. "don't look at me like that luck." riley mutters , as if the dog could understand. "it doesn't mean anything. he just needed somewhere to stay and i have a spare room , y'know?"
He'd planned to get some sleep, but instead Adam has spent the last hour staring at the ceiling. There's just so much going through his head and keeping him awake, even if this bed is so much more comfortable than the one at the motel. He still can't fully believe that he's in Riley's house. Everything here feels strange and familiar all at once, a glimpse of the person Riley has become over the past 20 years and even though the reminder of his own absence in those years hurts - he's grateful for that glimpse, no matter how brief.
It takes some more time, before Adam decides to give up and leave the guest room. When he moves down the stairs he can hear noise from the kitchen and after another moment of hesitation, Adam walks in there. "Hi", he greets both Riley and Lucky, leaning against the doorframe. The dog sniffs at him curiously and Adam pats his head, eyes fixed on Riley. "Thanks again for letting me stay here. Nothing against the motel, but my shoulder in particular is very grateful for the bed." A nervous chuckle escapes him.