Blood in the Inkwell (All Gender Pairings) (Multiple Genres) (Plot-Driven)

[Erythrite]

Blood in the Inkwell - Erythrite's Ideas

Status: Open to discussion.

Layout of this Thread
- Introduction (You are here) -

Story Ideas
- Viable (sci fi noir) -
- Have a Heart (modern noir) -
- Dust in the Wind (gritty western) -
- An Era of Shadows (historical Japanese fantasy) -
- Stormtossed (historical gothic horror) -
- The Moth and The Flame (victorian gothic horror) -
- A Voice in the Dark (medieval horror) -
- Long Live Rock N' Roll (historical urban fantasy) -
- Restless As The Ocean (modern(?) offbeat fantasy-horror) -
- Gilded Souls (Historically inspired dark fantasy) -

Hello. And thank you for stopping by my search thread.  If you want to contact me, please do so through PMs and do not post here so I can keep things neat and tidy.  I have attempted to outline my likes and dislikes as best I can in my O/O page , so please take a look at it to see if we would be compatible.  You can also find links to all of my stories on E in my O/Os to get an idea of my writing style across various genres, as well as the expectations I have of partners.  Here are a few of the basics to give you an idea of whether you are interested in delving deeper:

Story.  I am looking for long-term, plot-based stories.  We don't need to hash out the whole plot right away and I like plotting to be an ongoing give-and-take between partners that can evolve, grow, and change as we go.  However, I do expect the plot to be a major focus throughout.

Posting Rate.  A busy work schedule and other responsibilities mean that most of my posting gets done on the weekends, and I don't get to everything I owe every weekend.  There are, however, times when I might manage more than a post a day, but this isn't consistent and probably won't be the norm.  If potentially slow posting is a problem for you, we probably won't be compatible.  I also don't agree to set posting rates.  I have enough deadlines in my life without incorporating them into my hobbies. However, I will almost never drop a game if my partner has to take a hiatus, and you don't have to worry about me losing interest unless I explicitly tell you I have.  If I was interested in the first place, I'll likely still be interested when it's time to pick it up again.

Detailed and Grammatically Correct Posts.  I'm looking for partners with an engaging writing style who have a good understanding of English spelling and grammar.  I do believe in quality over quantity, and in some scenes there just isn't a lot to say, but if you're consistently giving me one liners, I will lose interest.  In addition, I think that sometimes a long post (several thousand words) is needed.  My partners shouldn't be afraid of writing that much when the scene requires it.

Complex Characters. A good character is one with both strengths and weaknesses, good and bad sides, who certainly is not perfect or all-powerful.  A character defined as much, if not more, by their flaws than their skills.  The character should be believable for the setting and have an at least partially thought-out background and personality before the start of the story.

Forums.  I'm not interested in playing by messenger, PM, or email.

Pairings. I write characters of all genders, and will do M/M, F/F, or M/F romantic pairings.  Non-binary and trans characters are accepted.  I will also do non-romantic pairings, nonsexual pairings, and write characters pretty much anywhere on the demi/pan/bi/asexual spectrum.  I don't care about what gender my writing partners are or what gender they write.  I'm willing to write multiple characters per story and often prefer this.  For the right story I am open to polyamorous relationships.

I am picky.  My time is limited, and I only want to start stories that I will actually want to see through to the end.  I assess potential partners for compatibility, so please do not be offended if I decide not to write with you; it's nothing personal, nor is it likely to be a reflection of your skill, but rather because I simply think we wouldn't be compatible, and I've learned that it's better not to try to force it with writers I'm not very compatible with.

Regarding Tone.  I am currently more interested in stories with a darker focus.  For clarification of what I mean when I say 'a darker focus', please see my O/Os, in particular my 'note on extreme content' in the first post.

But what about sex?  I am not opposed to including sex in a story.  However, I am not interested in forcing it or rushing to it.  If the possibility of going hundreds of posts without a sex scene bothers you, then I am likely not the partner for you.

[Erythrite]

Viable

You knew exactly what you were signing up for.

~ Violence ~ Moral Ambiguity ~ Hunter vs. Hunted ~ Medical and Cybernetic Augmentation ~
~ Sci-Fi Noir ~
~ M/F, F/F, M/M ~
~ Extreme ~

The world population has exceeded 20 billion.  True natural resources are a thing of the past.  What's left of Earth's flora and fauna now exist in private zoos and collections, or vertical farms and massive biodomes, all controlled by the richest 1%; humans whose wealth have made them practically immortal; expensive medical treatments allowing them to live long beyond their natural life spans.  Social mobility is a thing of the past as well, with the majority of humanity suffering from starvation, exposure, and disease in the expansive slums that cover the majority of the planet.  There is one way out of this living nightmare for those who are born into it; become a donor.  Registered donors are ensured medical care, clean water, good food, and are often spared the grueling work that others must endure simply to survive.  The catch is that when one of their body parts is needed to save the life of one of the 1%, it is simply taken...sometimes leaving them dead, other times maimed, weak, in pain, but still 'viable' for future harvests.  The collectors are the ones who do the grisly work; once considered failed experiments from the era of the cybernetic revolution, the unlucky few whose extreme modifications have left them to be seen as something less than human have been kept around to do the dirty work that no self-respecting 'human' would do.  A single conglomerate has arisen to manage the collectors; the only company licensed internationally to carry out legal murder.  They are reliable and ruthless, but when one collector decides to help their target rather than harvest them, it quickly becomes a situation that threatens the entire system.

Relevant Information:

- Open to a variety of different roles and story directions.
- Writing multiple characters probably required.
- There will be a lot of action scenes and graphic depictions of violence in this one, consider yourself warned.
- Willing to consider poly relationships for this, but ideally not with jealousy as a major theme.

[Erythrite]

Have a Heart

Everyone turns out to be disappointing in the end.

~ Criminal Underworld ~ Moral Ambiguity ~ Black Market Organ Harvesting ~ Revenge and Obsession ~
~ Modern Noir ~
~ M/F or M/M ~
~ Extreme ~

Malpractice.  A stain on a doctor's reputation so dark that some never recover from it.  Particularly if it's a stain they earn early on in their career.  Five years ago, a young doctor was faced with such a tragedy...even though he hadn't done anything wrong.  The mistake was made by his mentor; an older, established, respected medical professional who was effortlessly able to pass the mistake off on their young protege.  Now a medical examiner, the former MD has never forgotten how he was wronged; a wound made even worse by the close relationship he'd developed with his mentor.  So close, in fact, that one day he recognizes their work on a John Doe that comes through the morgue, which leads him down the unexpected rabbit hole of the criminal underworld.

His mentor is selling organs on the black market, and armed with information for blackmail, he demands a cut of the dirty money as reparation for the untimely end of his medical career.  Unfortunately, the black-market dealing wasn't exactly being done of his mentor's own free will, and now he's definitely involved too...whether he likes it or not.

Relevant Information:

- I'm imagining a weird dynamic between the two.  They snark, they snap, they claim to hate each other, they clearly don't.  I want the mentor to have had complex reasons for the betrayal and to regret it deeply, while the protege struggles with anger and the desire for revenge, but can't bring himself to truly dislike his former mentor.
- I have it in mind that the person blackmailing the mentor into organ harvesting is a relative; that there are familial crime ties there, which could have something to do with the malpractice issue as well.
- Could be M/M or M/F, as I imagine the younger of the pair/the protege as male, but the other could be either.  Open to both roles.

[Erythrite]

Dust in the Wind

What are you doing so far from home?

~ Wild West ~ Melancholy ~ Survival ~ Fish Out Of Water ~
~ American Old West ~
~ F/F ~
~ Extreme ~

She had been young when they first married; young and filled with ideals about what a marriage should be.  He had cared for her well enough, but it quickly became clear that they were incompatible in many ways.  He longed for the adventure of the frontier, she balked at leaving her home city.  He had an explorer's spirit, she preferred to read about that sort of thing in books.  Eventually, they drifted farther and farther apart, both metaphorically and literally, as he purchased a mine in some godforsaken frontier town, and began to spend more time there than in the city with her.  Their relationship became a distant one of letters and occasional visits.  Until one day a letter comes that gives her the horrible news that he has died, and even worse, no one can seem to tell her the exact cause of death.  With almost all of their finances sunk into the mine, she must decide to either sell it (likely at a fraction of what it's really worth) or manage it herself.  But that might prove to be even more difficult than she anticipates, and not just because of her business rivals.

- Variant 1 She arrives in the town and encounters her husband's (possibly pregnant) mistress.  While she expects to despise the woman, when she finds a vulnerable young girl in far deeper mourning than she herself is, she unexpectedly agrees to take her in, and is pleasantly surprised to find that the young woman is more capable than initially expected.

- Variant 2 She enlists the help of one of her husband's employees to help her learn the ropes and convince the other workers to accept a female boss.

- Variant 3 Convinced that her husband was murdered, she hires a Pinkerton agent to investigate while struggling to manage her new responsibilities.

Relevant Information:

- I am primarily (at this point almost exclusively) interested in the f/f variant here.  Other elements can be included but I'm really not looking for any sort of m/f romance.  Alternatively it could be a story completely without romance, or at least without romance as a central theme.
- Open to writing any/all characters.
- Am open to the characters being non-white or otherwise marginalized, and there will absolutely be side characters who are of other races even if the main characters are white.  Racism should be acknowledged and could potentially be a major issue, but not among the main protagonists, please.
- Genders of suggested characters could potentially be changed if it makes sense in the context of the story.
- Exact year and location up for discussion.
- Could mix and match elements from the different variants.

[Erythrite]

An Era of Shadows

What worth do you think honor has to a dead man?

~ Political Scheming ~ Adventure ~ Survival ~ Supernatural ~
~ Japanese-Based Historical Fantasy/Horror ~
~ M/F, F/F, M/M ~
~ Extreme ~

Two great clans war for the Jade Throne.  One has managed to seize the capitol city and place a ruler upon that cold seat of stone and metal, but far from encouraging peace, this has only inflamed the conflict.  Both clans have their supporters and their enemies; those who have much to gain or lose depending on who is ultimately named emperor or empress.  The capitol city is a den of subtle political scheming, but beyond the walls is a country torn by war and stalked by darkness.  Rumors abound of the unnatural means through which the interim ruler has cheated death, and even more horrifying rumors come from the countryside; of the voices of the dead carried upon night winds, and shadowy figures rising from their graves.  In this era of shadows where nothing is as it seems, a member of the elite warrior class, an onna-bugeisha, seeks to help the last heir of a royal line thought extinct to ascend to their rightful place as ruler, but enemies are everywhere, and even death cannot stop ambition.

Relevant Information:

- There are a lot of placeholder words tossed in that description that can be made more specific with a bit of worldbuilding and plotting.  In addition, the exact plot is not set in stone, though I would like the basic elements to remain.
- Loosely based on the Kamakura and Sengoku periods of Japan, but not meant to keep to any actual history.  Very flexible in this regard, so long as the Japanese character is kept intact.
- Open to a large cast of characters, but I really want to write the onna-bugeisha as one of my characters, leaving the 'heir' open for a potential partner.  I'm open to the heir being male or female and a variety of different circumstances and personalities for them.
- I'm hoping for a sort of undead fantasy-horror element that's kept relatively low-key throughout most of the story.  More foreboding than flashy.
- Inspiration includes the Netflix series Kingdom and the video game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

[Erythrite]

Stormtossed

It's so quiet under the water.

~ Horror ~ Mystery ~ Isolation ~ Slow Burn ~
~ Historical Gothic Horror ~
~ M/F, M/M ~
~ Extreme ~

No one could have survived that storm on the water, and yet there they were.  Pale, cold, waterlogged body draped across the jagged rocks, by some miracle still breathing.  There was nothing to do but to carry the unconscious body back to the lighthouse, though the fact that the stormy season was far from coming to an end and there would be no relief in sight for the isolated outpost until it did meant that poor soul probably wouldn't be long for the world under such circumstances.  But the survivor proves not to be fatally injured, and alone with the lighthouse keeper as the storms rage outside, the survivor's unusual history begins to unravel, revealing there is far more to fear than the howling wind and angry sea.

Relevant Information:

- I'm looking for a very atmospheric gothic horror story, preferably set in the late 1800s or early 1900s.
- I could see this story going several ways, though the two main options would be 'lighthouse keeper and survivor have to face a threat together' or 'lighthouse keeper and survivor end up having to face off against each other.'  The first might prove better for collaborative writing, but I'm open to both options and have several possible ideas for either one.
- The story I'm looking for doesn't actually necessitate a supernatural element, and in fact I think it could be very engaging without it, but I'm also open to a supernatural angle.
- The historical setting pretty much requires that for semi-accuracy the lighthouse keeper should be male, but the survivor can be any gender.
- Exact location flexible, but should obviously be somewhere coastal, rocky, and cold.

[Erythrite]

The Moth and The Flame

I am the monster you made me.

~ Horror ~ Mystery ~ Breaking Societal Norms ~ Supernatural ~
~ Victorian Gothic Horror ~
~ F/F, F/M ~
~ Extreme ~

She had never thought of herself as anyone special.  Just another unwelcome mouth to feed in a world that cared little and a society that cared even less.  When she is approached by a stranger offering her not only much needed room and board but also an opportunity that sounds too good to be true, she is skeptical, but has little choice but to accept.  Whisked away to a foreboding manor in the misty moors of northern England, she finds a small, secretive society of young women much like herself presided over by the enigmatic ladies of the house; a trio of older women whose association and motives are unclear.  The young women under their care are given a place to live, food enough to fill their bellies, and an education the likes of which would have been otherwise entirely out of reach.  Over time, this education begins to expand to more unusual things; dark, otherworldly arts that open up a new world of possibilities.  In exchange, they need only to do as the ladies of the house ask - whatever they ask.  It seems a small price to pay when it is nothing more than an appearance here or a bit of covertly acquired information there, but when the orders extend to matters of seduction, murder, and blood offered in arcane rituals by moonlight, some of the young women begin to question not only their teachings, but also the motives behind them, leading to a tangled web of secrets that begins unraveling as quickly as their own lives seem to be.

Relevant Information:

- "The Victorian Era" is actually longer and more varied than it's usually portrayed, and I am flexible where exactly in this era the story would take place.
- The central characters of this story will be female, as will the primary antagonists.  That doesn't mean this story has to involve F/F, but it does mean that any prospective partner needs to be okay with writing at least one female character as a primary protagonist.
- I'm looking for grey morality and difficult decisions interspersed with elements of both disturbingly personal and starkly impersonal horror. 
- This story involves a relatively significant cast of characters.  Ideally a prospective partner would be interested in providing their own side characters to balance out mine.

[Erythrite]

A Voice in the Dark

I don't fear solitude, I fear the opposite.

~ Horror ~ Corruption ~ Desolation ~ Moral Ambiguity ~
~ Medieval Horror ~
~ M/F, M/M, F/F ~
~ Extreme ~

They go where others might shudder merely to mention.  As the hellish plague sweeps across the land, more of it seems lost to famine and illness, eventually inhabited only by twisted creatures that must have clawed their way up from the underworld and corrupted, hollow remnants of those who were unable to flee.  They come with weapons and fire into those accursed lands, an army of two in search of the source of the otherworldly scourge; in search of anything that might allow them to save what remains.  Where others have fallen, they persevere, sustained by the light that burns bright in the soul of one, guided by the darkness that gnaws at the soul of the other.

Relevant Information:

- One of the characters will be possessed.  How exactly that manifests and impacts the story is up for discussion.
- I'm most interested in writing the possessed individual, but not opposed to writing the other.
- Open to all pairing variants.  Exact relationship between the two and their history is up up for discussion.
- While I don't imagine this setting being "low magic", I do imagine it being quite bleak, and as such there's not going to be a lot of flashy spellcasting that will get the characters quickly out of trouble.  Anything supernatural they do should carry a heavy cost.
- Parallels to real history (particularly plague and inquisition themes) are more than welcome.
- Inspirations include the Dark Souls franchise and A Plague Tale: Innocence

[Erythrite]

Long Live Rock N' Roll

Sometimes it takes a lifetime to make it.

~ Revenge ~ Supernatural ~ Music Scene ~ Ambition ~
~ Historical Urban Fantasy ~
~ M/F, M/M, F/F ~
~ Extreme ~

She didn't know who ambushed her that night.  In the darkness, and with her attacker in a mask, it was all she could do to register what was happening before she lost consciousness.  It could have been anyone - plenty of people saw her around, at parties, events, concerts.  Most viewed her as little more than a groupie trying to get a second-hand taste of someone else's fame, but she'd always dreamed bigger.  She wanted fame of her own, but it wasn't easy to make it.  When she wasn't barely scraping together enough money for rent she was being told that she wasn't pretty enough, original enough, flashy enough, or that she just didn't have the right style.  For just a moment before she passed out, she thought it might be a fitting way for her to die - alone in a dark alley, forgotten by the end of the next news cycle.  She didn't expect to wake up the next morning, starving and in terrible pain from the sunlight slanting in on her between the buildings.  Unbeknownst to her, she's just emerged on a scene far more insular and dangerous than the one she's been trying to break into for years.  Navigating her new existence will definitely be a bit easier with friends on her side.  If only it wasn't so difficult to tell who her friends really are.

Relevant Information:

- I imagine this story as one of a character unwillingly being turned into a vampire, but I am not at all tied to any one particular version of vampire lore.  Very open to interpreting "vampire" in a variety of different ways.
- Although I originally envisioned the new vampire as a woman, the character could easily be a man as well.  Trans characters, non-binary characters, and gender non-conforming characters more than welcome.
- This could work as a story where one person writes the new vampire and the other takes on a sort of GM role, but it doesn't have to be that way.  I'm open to writing any/all roles.
- The story should be set in the 1970s, probably in California or London, but open to other places if they make sense for the music scene.  How historically accurate we want to be is up for discussion.  For example I'm willing to create new bands for our story rather than factoring in the bands that were actually popular at the time, or do a mix of real and invented bands.
- More or less imagining this as elements of WoD Vampire politics combined with the 70's Rock music scene.

[Erythrite]

Restless As The Ocean

Not all monsters are bad people.

~ Offbeat ~ Supernatural ~ Horror ~ Moody ~
~ Ocean-Themed Modern Fantasy ~
~ M/F, M/M, F/F ~
~ Light to Extreme ~

It wasn't a difficult choice to leave his old life behind.  There wasn't anything worth salvaging, and after years of trying to make up for mistakes - his, someone else's, he could hardly tell anymore - a fresh start seemed like the only option.  A new place, a new profession, even a new name; he just wanted to forget, and in the quiet seaside town where he's landed, he seems to have found the perfect environment for it.  Everyone knows everyone, and the locals are at times eccentric, but friendly.  In spite of his admitted lack of experience or qualification, he manages to land a job as a caretaker and general handyman for the small bed-and-breakfast, restaurant, and museum combined that almost every tourist passing through temporarily calls home.  For once he actually likes his coworkers, especially the somewhat harried owner of the establishment, who just happens to be totally his type.
Things are looking up, but sooner or later his past will catch up with him.  This time though, he might not have to run again.  Especially considering the fact that his attractive new boss also just happens to secretly be a shapeshifting sea monster.  A carnivorous one.  One who doesn't take kindly to their new favorite employee being threatened.

Relevant Information:

- I'm imagining a sort of cute, offbeat story about love and friendship and new beginnings in a quaint little town, but one that sometimes takes a sharp turn into horror-tinged drama.  I really enjoy the juxtaposition of the mundane and sincere and the fantastical and somewhat horrific, especially if these two moods can be alternatively embodied by the same characters.
- I'm more than willing to write an expanded side cast of locals for this one, or could share them with a co-writer.
- "He" is absolutely a placeholder here.  F/F?  Female newcomer and merman?  M/M?  All variants possible.
- Open to writing either main character.
- Exactly what the new arrival is running from is up for discussion.  His/her background can vary depending on what themes we want to incorporate.
- I initially imagined this as a modern story, but it could easily be made historical as well.

[Erythrite]

Gilded Souls

Perhaps we are already lost.

~ Dark ~ Ritualistic ~ Horror ~ Arcane ~
~ Historically Inspired Dark Fantasy ~
~ M/F, M/M, F/F ~
~ Extreme ~

The world is changing.  Foul, unnamed things have been pushed farther into the darkness to make way for modernity's ever-expanding sprawl.  Earthly rulers squabble ceaselessly with each other and challenge the power of the church and its holy leader, some even doubting his claims to speak with the voice of the divine.  While men doubt, forces beyond their control brew beneath the surface, hidden but not gone.  Scattered reports of the dead rising from their graves and descending plagues reach the ears of the members of a holy order now more scholars than they are warriors, unprepared to defend a world divided against the dark things that threaten it, things that they have read about in dusty tomes, but never seen with their own eyes.  Prepared or not, however, there are those among them who must take up the challenge, to delve deep into vast libraries, dark catacombs, and even the recesses of their own souls to find the power that will allow them to combat, at any cost, the vile forces without...and perhaps also those lurking within.

Relevant Information:

- Though I originally envisioned this story taking place in a more "stable" and slightly more modern world, it could easily be altered to serve as a companion piece to A Voice in the Dark, taking place in the same universe but showing a different side of events, if a potential partner is interested in something more ambitious by writing both or combining the two into one story.
- The magic in this story should be highly ritualistic, always coming at a significant price and only available to those who are able to devote the time and resources to its study.  At least, that's the only way that humans are able to access it...
- Obviously, many of the themes here are inspired by Catholic mythology/imagery/ritual, no doubt caused by my tendency to wander around inside Gothic cathedrals in my spare time.  Just how much those things will actually be incorporated into the story is up for debate, as I absolutely imagine this as at most (very) alternate history.  Still, if this possibly irreverent use of religious themes in a story bothers you, this probably isn't the one for you.
- I don't really intend for this story to focus around a religion kink.  Though characters will be conscious of concepts like sin, ritual, and strict rules to be observed, that aspect of 'no we shouldn't, it's a sin' won't be the main thrust (no pun intended) of the story.
- We can discuss the exact gender politics of this world, but I think it would be more fun if, at least in some capacity, both men and women are permitted to join the holy order rather than anyone being barred completely.  All gender pairings possible here.
- I imagined the main characters to be members of the order, so essentially they are scholar-monks who are also in theory holy knights, but at least one, if not both of them should have little to no actual experience with combat, as such experience is rare among their order when the story takes place.  All other details about their status, age, abilities, etc. as well as the dynamics between them are up for discussion.