HazySky's Hazy Ideas (Mostly M for F)

[Hazy Sky]

Hey there, I am HazySky and I'm very pleased to welcome you to my thread. I've tried to keep everything short and sweet. If you have questions, then please do ask away and thank you for taking the time to browse.

What can I offer you and what am I looking for?

I love to build characters, plots and worlds with my writing partners. I like to chat on the side a bit as we write and I've made a few friends here over the years. I hope that my writing is detailed, well written and clear and that my characters are interesting and varied. These are the things that I can offer you and I also look for. Please do feel free to look at my existing posts if you want to get a feel for my writing.

What do I like/not like?

My preferences can be found here and are a good general guide to my interests, but should not be considered absolutely accurate. I'm human and my interests and whims change over time: https://elliquiy.com/forums/onsoffs.php?u=39648

Story ideas.

Below are a few story concepts that have currently caught the interest of my muse and I have written a very rough teaser of how each might potentially start. I hope you find them interesting.

Ash and dust.
The modern world fell apart. The global economy collapsed. As supply chains disintegrated. The power grid failed and the cities emptied. There wasn't enough food and water to go around, so disease and starvation did the rest. Now even with all our knowledge and technology there is no going back to the way things were. There are survivors trying to get by in the graveyard of the old world and then there are fanatics, bandits and gangs who prey on those who are not strong enough to stop them. All that matters is food, fuel and water and any amount of blood innocent or otherwise can be spilled to take them. In this uncertain and violent world one group of men and women seek to uphold the values and the justice of the old world; the Remnant. They will bring order, peace and progress, but at what price?

Plot?

I'm interested in exploring what matters more at the end of the world: personal loyalty, loyalty to a group or commitment to a seemingly impossible ideal and what moments of intimacy and passion can ensure in such a world. My character will be a member of the Remnant, one who remembers the old world and has taken an oath to uphold its values and laws in a world that has lost both.

Love looks not with the eyes…
She glanced up, their eyes met and he was just... She felt her cheeks heating and she glanced away, but he didn't seem to notice. For a moment she was taken aback, she felt so sure there would be a spark there and then she saw the dress cane in his hand and his fingertips dragging lightly along the wall as he continued to walk towards her still smiling that beautiful smile. He couldn’t see her. She should get out of his way, but she wasn't quick enough and he jostled her elbow. He turned, reaching out, an apology on those perfect lips…

Plot?

I'm interested in seeing how a relationship and a romance develops when one of the protagonists has no idea what the other looks and how that disability changes all the facets of the relationship and its moments of intimacy.

A Helping Hand.
Morning shift at the Diner: He settles himself in the same spot at the counter he's taken every morning since he walked in. She's there ready, the coffee in hand. He picks up a menu, but they both know it's for show. Cook is already glancing over waiting for her to confirm it's the same order as always. Every morning it is the same and she's come to rely on that unspoken acknowledgement of her humanity. Except this morning is different, because no amount of makeup will hide that black eye and when he looks at her she just knows he sees right through it. When he speaks it's not to place his order. He asks her if everything is alright, his voice soft with concern that no one else has expressed to her…

Plot?

I want to explore a friendship that might turn into something mode whilst one character is dealing with being trapped in a clearly abusive and manipulative relationship.

Special Delivery.
In a world of same day deliveries and algorithms that know you better than you know yourself why not let us take all the hassle and hard work out of your relationship too?
Our product is 100% ethically sourced and once in stock at our warehouse will be packaged and shipped directly to your door in less than eight hours. Get the partner of your dreams brought right to your doorstep by our friendly and professional delivery team. We guarantee both a perfect match for you first time and your full satisfaction! Order yours today!

Plot?

I am always interested in how individuals adapt to sudden changes in their world and new relationships, much as receiving a bride through the mail that they may or may not have ordered. I would also like to throw some physical, social or age differences just to add a little contrast to add some additional spice.

State Lottery.
Citizen,
You have failed to meet your statutory requirement to find a suitable partner during this International Population Crisis. Your failure necessitates a direct intervention by the State Department. You are required to attend the State Lottery Draw in two weeks time where you will be allocated a partner. Congratulations! Dress code at the event is informal.

Reminder: Failure to attend a mandated State Lottery Event is a crime punishable by imprisonment under the Sustainable Future for Humanity Act 2021.
The bright future of humanity is in your hands!

Plot?

This is a more experimental concept than it might appear on the surface. My idea is that all aspects of the protagonists will be age, appearance, background and so on will be randomly chosen and that these two random individuals will then have to try to find a way to understand and accept each other and the relationship that they have been forced into for the next year by the repressive forces of the State.

The Morning After the Night Before.
The sunlight streamed in through the curtains and fell across her face. She stirred and squinted, blinded by the light. If she could just ignore it she would have, but with the hangover it was just unbearable. She slipped out of bed, stumbling barefoot over an empty bottle and almost twisting her ankle on a discarded shoe. She made it to the curtains and reached up to pull them closed. As she raised her hand to grab the dark fabric something sparkled in the sunlight on her finger; a slim plain gold wedding band. She froze. Behind her someone groaned and for the first time she realized that she doesn't know where the hell she is or what happened last night…

Plot?

This concept is not dissimilar to State Lottery, except that the characters are not random and instead are trying to rediscover whatever the spark was that lead them to make such a rash decision as to marry on the same day that they met for the first time.

Stepping up.
You wake up one morning and your mother is just gone. The wardrobe in her bedroom was bare as the fridge in the kitchen. A note on the table is all she has left behind, half full of apologies and half of recriminations. Stepping through the front door and into this newly upside down world comes your stepfather. He's been away for months and he has no idea what he's walking into. You've never had a great relationship with him. He tried and you always felt safe with him, but he wasn't your real dad, never could be him and you made damn sure that he knew it every single day. Now though everything is different. The way he looks at you. The way you look at him. Maybe, just maybe you were wrong about him and he's not so bad after all. You need someone and he's right there…

Plot?

Snowbound.
The snow had been falling for days now. To begin with it was just picturesque, but now it was coming down so fast and so hard that not even the ploughs can keep up and then the wind strengthens. For a while the pickup inches forward, but a jackknifed truck rough across the road soon puts a stop to that. The only option left is to turn and make for the Inn a few miles back and wait it out. At least it will be warm and there's the hope of a hot meal. Out here in snow no one will last the night.

Plot?

The story is set on a cold snowy night when two strangers forced by the heavy snow to stop at an inn on the road and who encounter each other there. A shared experience turns into a moment of opportunity, but what will they do once the snow begins to melt and they can leave? What bigger world have they been hidden away from? 

Lost Everything..
It's all gone, all of it. Every last cent and just to make it worse the unsympathetic black sky opens above her. She runs from the rain seeking shelter under an awning for a convenience store, but it's already too late. She's soaked to the skin, the only clothes she now owns clinging to her as the suddenly cold night air chills her right to the bone. She wraps her arms around herself in a vain attempt to keep a little warmth in, but already she's starting to shiver and her teeth to chatter. She glances at her phone in the vain hope that it might have started working again, but it is very definitely disconnected. A shadow falls across her face as a stranger approaches her…

Plot?

This is a story concept about loss, guilt and then acceptance. It is also about humility, generosity and kindness. I want to explore a relationship with a character who had everything or was given everything in life and suddenly finds themself left with just the clothes they stand up in. Perhaps they gambled away their fortune in a moment of madness. Perhaps their wealthy parent or partner is suddenly arrested and all their assets seized by the Government leaving them with nothing. Perhaps a market crash or a fire robs them of all their assets. How do they survive the first night? Who do they turn to to help them? How will their friends and acquaintances react to their new situation? Did they play a role in their own downfall? How will they come to terms with having everything taken from them and being left with nothing?

Edge of an Empire.
The officer stands and looks out over the wall. From beyond it the breeze carries the smell of smoke and he knows that somewhere in the hills they are gathering to test the strength of the Empire once more. The fading light of the sun catches the gleams on the dull bronze of his cuirass and the helmet resting as his elbow. Below the gates are still open people flowing back and forth from the market, or to the baths and the temple. He knows they are out there, that she is out there and if he cannot get through to her how the Empire fights then everyone will die and everything will be reduced to embers and Ash. He looks along the wall and the men and women standing ready to defend it and feels nothing but sorrow.

Plot?

I'm looking for a historical or fantastical story that delves into the strong social and cultural differences across the front line of an empire all against the background of a possible war that the character from the Empire knows will be catastrophic for everyone involved.

Songbird in a Gilded Cage.
Every night in the spotlight she sings for him, no songbird more beautiful, no song more sweet. Caught in the spotlight she preens and trills, knowing that in the shadows his attention is captivated by other plumage. She cannot leave him though. He would rather kill her than let another possess her. She is trapped in his orbit, bound into his misdeeds and crimes unable to escape. What can she do?

Plot?

I originally pictured this story set in the Prohibition Era, but I think it would actually work in any time period. At the heart it would be a story about a woman trapped in a relationship with a powerful dangerous man who cannot escape him until an opportunity presents itself unexpectedly. Is it a trap? Is her savior for real? Does she have genuine feelings for him,or is she just so desperate to escape that she will do or say anything? Will her master let her go or will he come after her?

Collared.
The would-be thief came to slowly. She was lying face down on the floor, a knee resting on her back pinning her arms down. She struggled and squirmed, but a cricket bat slammed down onto the thick pile rug so close it to her face almost brushed her nose. The knee in her back pressed down even harder.
"No, no Mon petit cher. Don't you try to move, not yet." She can feel blood trickling down the side of her face, her head is pounding and then suddenly something was around her neck and pulling tight against her throat. She flailed and cried out, realizing what was happening but it's too late. He pulled the collar tight and fastened the buckle.
"There. Now you can get up." The knee lifted from her back, the bat retreated from her line of vision. Behind her glass crunched underfoot as he moved around the room.
"I said get up."

Plot?

This is a dystopic story including an element of slavery. In this version of reality a criminal who escapes without being caught cannot be prosecuted for their crime. But those caught in the act of committing it and subdued and literally collared by their intended victim become a slave. A thief bites off rather more than she can chew and finds herself at tender mercy of a less than sympathetic Judge whose house she has tried to burglarize. It is possible that the Judge has some dark secrets of their own too.

Withdrawal Symptoms.
The empty air hypo dropped lay in the palm of their hand. It was the last one. There would be no more. Sale was now illegal, possession punishable by death. They chewed at their bottom lip until the blood came. The knuckles of their other hand gripping the edge of the sink so tight they went white. They had been into the first stage of withdrawal before and it had not been pretty. It wasn't their fault that as a Gen III they had to take the damn stuff, had been taking it since, well, for their whole life. And now, now they had to go without it by law all because of the damn psychosis outbreaks. That's what bad batches did, had always done. Now there were just more bad batches. Shit. It would start with the aches and who knew where it would end? Gen III's were a geneticists wet dream or their worst nightmare. They breathed out and rolling down their sleeve stepped back out onto the rain-soaked Street. Things were about to get unpleasantly interesting.

Plot?

This concept is dystopic and futuristic in setting and part of the plot will be my character entering and experiencing withdrawal symptoms from losing access to a substance that they are dependent upon and the effects of this withdrawal upon them and their relationships. Exactly what physical or psychological effects that withdrawal will take place are open for discussion and could range from mild to wild. This one is wide open for plot and world building.

[Hazy Sky]

It's time for a big old update. I have added several new ideas and rewritten all the existing story concepts that still appeal to me. Thank you for taking the time to browse and I hope to hear from you soon if you find something that interests you.

[Hazy Sky]

Time for a gentle nudge. All of the stories are currently available, so please do take a look and I hope to hear back from you.