Dedicated Writer for Crime/Dram MxM 1x1

[theproblem]

TL;DR

Me

• Donny, cis female, 30+
• GMT+2
• ESL
• Looking to write a long-term plot (and ship) for my long-running, queer, crime OC with your queer, crime OC!

Yes

• 25+ writing partners
• Quality > quantity, concise and engaging writing
• Show > tell
• 1-5 paragraph posts
• Third person, present tense (past tense also okay)
• Long-term plots and/or dedicated writers who can stick to one thing for years
• Drama, crime, realism, history, war/military, subcultures, slice of life, romance, angst/dark subject matter
• Clear communication
• Matched enthusiasm, engagement and effort
• Posts ~once a week
• Flexible schedule
• Lit/adv-lit writing level
  
• Original characters and content
• In-depth character development
• MxM

No

• Minors
• Flakes
• Discourse, drama, politics, hate
• Novella
• Purple prose
• Pancake-stack dialog
• Matching post lengths and/or writing non-useful, filler lines just for the sake of matching
• Pure fluff
• High fantasy, superhero, supernatural, canon material/characters
• Posts once or more a day
• Posts less than once a week
• Outright smut (leadup/fade to black is acceptable; discussing NSFW headcanons and scenarios OOC very much welcome)
• MxF, FxF
• Leaving all the work up to me, either IC or OOC

THE LONG VERSION

Hey y'all, Donny here. Veteran Tumblr roleplayer looking to broaden my horizons and find new writing partners to help explore characters and plot ideas.

A bit about me and my writing/partner preferences:

Firstly, it's important to note that, as a Tumblr veteran, the kind of roleplay I'm used to is not one where I create a new character for a ready-made plot but, rather, the other way around. I have a (very short) list of (mostly) crime-oriented OCs which I've been developing for a good while now, and which I am looking to create plots and connections/relationships for. I'm very much into in-depth character development and tend to stick to the characters I create for a long time. It should go without saying that they all come with their own little worlds, well-thought-out bios, and a bunch of minor characters surrounding them.

While there are arcs and/or certain plots that I'd love to explore for them, I also very much like catering my plots to specific partners/characters and coming up with things together. Likewise, I like writing with partners and coming up with plots that can potentially run for a very long time. I believe that I'm very good at developing characters and actively working to drive plots forward, and I'm looking to work on something with someone which could potentially run for years and years.

With that said, I am currently only looking to explore romantic relationships and plots for a particular mercenary character that I've been writing for the better part of 10 years. You can find his description as well as vague ideas for the kind of plot I'd like to write for him at the bottom of the post.

As for me: I'm in my early 30s and my timezone is GMT+2. I don't mind timezone differences when it comes to my partners, but I do ask that no one under the age of 25 approach me.

I work two jobs and have a partner, pets and an offline social life, all of which goes to say I won't be available to RP daily. I try my best to post at least once a week and am normally successful in adhering to that schedule. There will likely be weeks when I'm available to post more often; but, as one of my jobs is freelance and the schedule tends to be a bit unpredictable, there may also be weeks when I won't be able to post as often as I'd like. Though this rarely happens, your understanding on this matter would be appreciated, and I will extend the same courtesy to you. With that said: I'm not looking to write with someone who takes several-month-long breaks in-between replies. It's just hard for me to maintain interest that way. It's also important to note that, despite of the above, I'm likely to be available daily for OOC chatting and plotting.

I've been involved with text-based roleplaying for over 15 years - almost exclusively OCs and original settings and plots. Though I hate using this term to describe my writing, as I find it quite offensive; in lack of a better one: I consider myself to be an advanced-literate writer (despite English being my second language). This does not refer to post length so much as the quality of my writing: I think that I have a distinct author's voice and that my writing as well as character voices are unique and concise. Though I'm no stickler and don't mind the occasional mistake here and there - we're all only human - I do ask that you be a literate writer, and that you proofread your posts before sending them my way. It really turns me off when it's evident that my partner rushed their reply and did not bother to check it for spelling or grammatical errors before sending it my way.

When it comes to writing preferences, I mostly do third person, present tense. This is not a must for you if you prefer writing in past tense, but it is, nevertheless, a plus. I prefer quality to quantity and have been experimenting with doing more showing than telling and limiting my characters' internal monologue to a minimum (or eliminating it altogether), which often means my posts tend to be on the shorter side (normally 200-700 words/1-3 paragraphs). Though I've done novella-type roleplays before and can certainly produce much longer posts when I feel like it's necessary, I'd prefer not to go back to doing novella regularly, as I find that it disrupts the natural flow of dialog and is just plain exhausting.

I will not fluff up replies just for the sake of reaching a certain word count; if 100 words cover everything I feel is needed, 100 words are what you're going to get. With that said, I am very conscious about giving my partners something to work with. Likewise, I don't mind the length of your posts as long as you give me something to work with. I do, however, prefer that you be open to the idea of experimenting with minimizing internal monologue. I know that this is something most roleplayers enjoy and prefer, but I find that I don't enjoy the roleplay as much when I'm being spoon-fed information. I want our characters to have miscommunications. I want their actions and words to be misunderstood. I want them to argue over stupid shit that could easily have been avoided had they known to communicate a little better. I just find that it makes for more authentic interactions, and I enjoy the challenge of saying as much as I can with as little as possible.

On that note: I'm an active plotter. There's little I love more than catering plots to specific characters or partners and getting into the real fine details of things (over time, of course). I try to work with the "yes, and" method as often as possible and rarely leave my partners hanging when it comes to driving the plot forward or working on character development. I expect you to be able to do the same. I'm sympathetic towards the occasional dry spell, none of us can be oozing with creativity 24/7; but if you consistently leave all the hard work up to me, I will get bored and respectfully drop the RP.

I also like seeing plots through. I get very discouraged if all we ever do is plot and chat OOC, but never actually follow through with IC writing. Don't get me wrong: I love chatting and plotting; I'll be sending you plot ideas, aesthetics, music, memes and art of our characters any hour of the day; but the main goal here is to write something, not only discuss it in theory. Long story short: if you’re flaky, please don’t reach out to me, and spare me the heartache.

Most of my characters and the one I am looking to write right now, in particular, are queer men. As I'm looking to write a ship for him, I'm looking for writers who are interested in MxM. However, it's important to note that, while I like discussing NSFW headcanons/scenes in detail and think that they're integral to writing any ship, I'm not a huge fan of actually writing out smut and would rather fade-to-black.

On a similar note: my characters tend to be flawed. I don't have any particular triggers and like getting into the nitty-gritty of the human psyche/behavior/existence. I'll obviously respect any triggers or boundaries my partners may have but, as a general rule, if you're especially sensitive or easily triggered by themes common to the criminal genre (i.e. violence, substance abuse, etc.) - I'm likely not the right partner for you.

I don’t tolerate any hate, discourse, drama or politics of any sort. Don’t care how justified or important it is - I don’t wanna engage with it. RP is a hobby which I would like to keep separate from my IRL problems. For the sake of clarification: purity culture absolutely falls under 'discourse' and I don't care for it one bit. I enjoy writing what some people would surely define as "problematic" content - if you don't like it, close this tab and carry on.

I'm comfortable writing both on and off of Elliquiy! If you'd like to write on the website, you're welcome to either comment on this thread or shoot me a PM. If you'd rather write somewhere else (email, Discord, Google Docs, etc.) - please visit this link for my off-website contact information: https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=347657.0

A bit about my character and the sort of plots and connections I'm looking for:

The Mercenary, AKA Merc, is my longest-running character and my absolute favorite. He's in his early 30s, homosexual/romantic, and - you guessed it - a mercenary combat operative. Standoffish, thick, self-destructive, extremely dangerous and easily irate, he is also profoundly loyal, adventurous, coy, charming and far more sensitive and intelligent than he lets on. His themes largely include: crime, modern-realism, recent history, war, mental illness, transgenerational abuse, nihilism, moral ambiguity, violence and redemption. You can find his full character sheet under the first cut, and several samples of my writing of him under the second cut.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

BASICS

Full name: A variety of fake ones. Harry, John, Victor, Bob – take your pick. In the business, he’s simply known as the Mercenary, or Merc for short.
Gender: Cis male.
DOB November 5th.
Age: Late 20s - early 30s.
Sexual Orientation: Homosexual.
Spoken Languages: He only really speaks English (in a thick Cockney accent), but knows a bunch of basic, useful words and phrases in a variety of languages.
Hometown: London, UK.
Current Location: Technically based New York, NY; but his work takes him all over the globe.
Occupation: He’ll say he does something in imports/exports for a well-known food corporation but, in reality, he’s a mercenary combat operative.

PHYSICAL

Eyes: Amber.
Hair: Ginger. Naturally curly, though you’ll never catch him outside of his neatly-trimmed buzzcut. Thick and groomed beard.
Height: 7 foot / 2.13 meters.
Build: Like a brick shithouse.
Identifying Marks:

• Freckled all over his body.
• Nick on left eyebrow.
• Scarred knuckles and callous palms.
• Scarred fingertips (eliminating his fingerprints).
• Some small, round scars scattered along his wrists, inner thighs and behind his ears.
• Scars scattered along his body (namely back and arms) of varying degrees of injury as well as varying ages. Most of them are different injuries sustained either on-the-job or during his service.
• A variety of tattoos (TBA: currently undergoing redesign)

Style:
For the job, he favors muted colors and functionality/comfort over looks. Prefers to wear long sleeves for fear of someone spotting his tattoos or other identifying marks. Henleys; hoodies; tactical jackets; cargo pants; sweats. Always combat boots. Lots of items layered together when he’s trying to be inconspicuous. Likes sporting a hoodie + ballcap + sunglasses combo when he’s feeling particularly paranoid. Prefers to carry his handguns in shoulder holsters and normally has a combat knife strapped to his ankle.

His casual/off-the-clock style largely consists of minimalist items with little touches which make them special, such as cutouts or a bold, but simple graphic. He prefers high-waisted pants to accentuate his long(!) legs; snug turtlenecks and cute sweaters are a big thing. Chelsea boots and sneakers will do when combat boots aren’t an option. Makeup is saved only for dates or the rare occasion of clubbing and will usually include a natural-looking face, graphic eyeliner and a bold lip. This will also occasionally include pained nails.

Other:
Cheekbones for days. Colossal hands and feet. Veiny arms and callous hands. Neck like a tree trunk. Broad shoulders. Strong core. The meatiest pair of tits you ever done seen. Long, long legs. Thick thighs. Eyes often bloodshot and sunken. Ginger eyelashes. Resting bitch face. Thick eyebrows with a weird, pointy growth pattern. Always wears a bullet hanging from a green string around his neck. Sunburns easily; blush clearly shows on his fair English skin. Dimples when he smiles. Too big to fit anywhere comfortably.

PERSONALITY

Positive: Adventurous; adaptable; deeply ride-or-die; nerves of steel; observant; analytical; hard worker; clean and organized; coy; sweet; thoughtful; charming in a boorish kind of way.
Negative: Reserved; standoffish; dishonest; distrustful; non-committal; pessimistic; workaholic; thrill-seeker; morally bankrupt; paranoid; hostile; violent; self-loathing; self-destructive.
Likes: Birds (specifically: pigeons); photography; exotic foods, home cooking, eating in general; dancing; punk, goth and 80s pop; picking fights (especially with homophobes); swimming; getting into trouble; travelling; food and night markets, hole-in-the-wall eateries; neon lights; playing around with makeup; bareknuckle boxing; working out; martial arts; firearms, gun ranges; camaraderie; privacy; taking orders; feeling useful, being of service; getting pampered, treated delicately and feeling cared for; organization and cleanliness; high work ethic.
Dislikes: Making chit-chat; eye contact; unprompted physical contact; unprompted kindness; reading and writing in front of other people; eating in front of other people; medical facilities, doctors and other medical staff; being the center of attention; needles; intimacy, vulnerability, sobriety; being treated like he’s stupid and/or mentally unwell; being misunderstood and having to explain himself; being told how big and tall he is (he’s aware, thanks); being ginger; unprofessionalism; high culture; confined spaces; neckties; disorder; self-reflection.
Other: Private. Doesn’t have a good way with words, often has trouble expressing himself, and gives up on it very easily. Married to his job and considers it to take precedence above anything and everything else. Promiscuous. Paranoid. Prone to depression, dissociation and anxiety. Similarly prone to fits of unprompted violence. Tends to feel intimidated by individuals he perceives as being more intelligent than he is. Has an easier time getting along with men rather than women, and is especially uneasy around motherly types. Bone-dry sense of humor.

PROFESSIONAL

Though the individual known as the Mercenary first surfaced sometime mid-1990s, he’s made quite the reputation for himself since, namely in the fields of personnel security, smuggling (drugs; gold and diamonds; human beings) and political assassinations. He seems to favor high-risk, high-pay operations. He’s highly skilled at clandestine ops, combat (both hand-to-hand and using a variety of weapons), has a good mind for strategy, tactics and leadership, and is suspected of having professional military background (specifically: special forces), though the details of such remain unknown.

Suspected of offering services such as, but not limited to: security, reconnaissance, espionage, extortion, kidnapping, assassination. Has been operational for roughly 10 years.

Suspected in the assassination of Andrei Lukanov (Bulgarian Communist Party), Álvaro Gómez Hurtado (Colombian Conservative Party) and Yitzhak Rabin (Israeli Prime Minister). True identity and base of operation unknown. Currently wanted by CIA, MI6 and Interpol, though he’s also presumably cooperated with the CIA and the Mossad.

OTHER

Skills: Problem-solving; strategizing; highly functional under extreme pressure; exceptional marksmanship; extensive knowledge on and experience with firearms; extensive combat and reconnaissance training and spec-ops experience; proficient in Krav Maga and occasionally dabbles in other martial arts; amateur photographer (mainly for work purposes); proficient knowledge on pigeons and their care; some knife tricks (twirling, throwing, etc.); some smoke tricks; some sideshow tricks (juggling, etc.); amateur origamist; very good at cleaning and organizing.
Weaknesses: Chronic back, neck and knee pain due to excessive height; suffers of tinnitus and slight hearing loss in right ear; substance abuse; lone wolf; very easily recognizable; poor self-image; susceptible to manipulation; technophobe; paranoid/anxious; depressive; dissociative; dyslexic; a smorgasbord of self-harming and/or avoidant, maladaptive coping mechanisms; struggles to process and express emotion; can’t cook to save his life.
Vices: Smoking, drinking, self-medicating (modafinil and other stimulants, opioids and other painkillers, anti-depressants and anxiety medication, weed).
Religious Views: Atheist.
Education: Ends in secondary school (age 12).

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Sample #1 (main verse / current times)

“Fuck! Put the gun down! Please, come on! It’s me, alright?”

The sole indication of the immense pain pulsing all through him is the flaring of his nostrils and twitching of his eyes with every breath drawn, long and deep despite the explosive hurt which detonates in his chest with every inhale. The mere act of standing on his own two feet is so painful that a steady supply of oxygen is the only thing currently keeping the world from spinning too fast around him. Though his hand trembles around the handle of his .45 which, dwarfed in comparison, looks like no more than a squirt gun - pressing the barrel hard into the intruder’s brow is enough to steady it, and using the Mercenary’s free arm to secures him against the wall by pressing his elbow to his windpipe is enough to steady that, too.

This up-close, the ripe stench wafting from him is impossible to ignore. Having stewed in his own juices for weeks with no shower or change of clothes, the shirt which sticks to him like clingwrap is stained with sweat and sauce and cigarette ash. Wild curls, left to grow untamed and full of knots and the thick, bushy beard that swallows his broad neck make him seem like a woodsman gone mad. 

Recognition is slow to sink, cloudy honey eyes frantically searching Dominic’s face despite knowing it all too well. Even when they settle, finally satisfied with the identity of the intruder, the Mercenary makes no attempt to release his captive, the cold, angry mouth of his pistol pressing a mean dent into the attorney’s flesh.

“Fuck’re you doing here?” The sound of his own voice is both alien and distant, unusually flat and hoarse and coming from miles away. “Fuck you want?” The massive fist balled in the breast of Dom’s shirt shakes him violently, causing the back of Dom’s head to bounce off the wall behind him, as though the answers might fall from his pockets if only Merc rattles him hard enough.


Sample #2 (main verse/current times)

(taken from mid-thread, this is not an intro post)

He is a Bengal tiger at the zoo, harassed for entertainment. A big, bad predator at rest is not the show Hordyenko came here to see.

But fuck Merc if he gives him the satisfaction.

His hand, the size of a frying pan, wraps around the entirety of Hordyenko’s face with ease before Merc shoves him back onto the mattress as though he was stuffed with straw, weighing nothing.

In a deep bass that is somewhere between honey and gravel, he tells him, “Put that deflated knob away before I rip it off, li’le man.”


Sample #3 (main verse / current times)

(taken from mid-thread, this is not an intro post)

Perhaps it’s the steady set of shoulders beneath his arm and the firm grip on his waist that have Merc briefly contemplating the fact that Dominic has never before held him this way. Under different circumstances, he might have found it bleakly amusing, considering the nature of their relationship. Under these circumstances, though, he finds he can do little but revel in the comfort of Dominic’s hold on him (disgusting, abhorrent and absolutely forbidden; he will surely regret it later), allowing him to carry some of his weight as he staggers, one-legged, out into the hallway.

He steers them towards the only door left unexplored, right across from his bedroom, and reaches to switch the lights on a bathroom as simple and barren as the kitchen, save for the single toothbrush resting in a glass at the side of the sink and a small group of sticky-notes clinging to the high-hung mirror. triᴍ ʙEᴇrb. cᴜt ʜᴀЯᴇ. Cut ИAʟɘ’s.

“Over there,” he grumbles, jutting his chin towards a plastic chair which has been set up in the shower (wide, but not tall enough to comfortably fit him, the showerhead’s extra-long hose coiled on the floor like a silver snake). That, along with a pile of old, wet clothes, reeking of mold and cast nearby are the only remaining evidence of Merc’s previous attempt at washing himself.


Sample #4 (teen verse / 1980s)

(taken from mid-thread, this is not an intro post)

His mouth tastes of copper and tobacco. Blood and smoke. The bridge of his nose is still swollen and tender where it’s been busted open, the pale stubble on his lip stained with dried blood, raw knuckles still burning from the punches he’s served in return to the initial attack - and Cal’s heart is fucking soaring. Completely at home with a beer in his hand and a spliff dangling from his mouth, his freshly-settled baritone of a voice rises just barely above the band booming on-stage as he relates the tale of his latest victory to the gang.

“… so ‘e says to me, right? Stupid cunt, ‘e says, you bent or somethin’? A bloody poofter?” He pauses then, just at the right moment, to allow a brief wave of laughter from the gang, a broad, impish grin stretched across his face. Wanker, remarks One-Two with malicious joy. They need not hear the rest of the story to know what comes next, though Cal carries on all the same. “Said that to the wrong motherfucker, inni– OI!”

Cut short by a sudden bump to his back which sends the cigarette flying to the filthy floor (and One-Two diving, immediately, to retrieve it) and his beer spilling all over his shirt, Cal, his face already turning red with rage, spins on his heels to face the offender. For a moment, he isn’t quite certain who or what had stepped into him until he looks way, way down and finds himself eyeing what looks to him like a twelve-year-old schoolboy who’s taken a wrong turn down the street.

“You fuckin’ blind, mate?” Inquires Wally, a pimply-faced boy with acid-green hair buzzed down the middle and spiked up at the sides, much to the gang’s amusement. Even Cal, though still upset at the loss of the joint and the soiling of his shirt (a white tee reading YOU MAKE ME SICK! across the chest, where One-Two had scribbled it in black marker), can’t stop the corner of his lips curling in a callous little smile.

“That’s a zoot and me favorite shirt you cost me,” he informs the stranger, looming over him, fierce yellow eyes framed in black hinting at the danger of allowing this transgression to go unrectified. Between the getup and the accent, Cal reckons the boy is more than capable (and willing) to compensate him.

Honestly, I could see Merc working in a wide variety of scenarios and with all sorts of characters. I'd be equally thrilled to explore him with another criminal from his world (another mercenary; a druglord, a high-ranking executive in a major corporation, or any other type of potential client; a fixer/cleaner; a bent lawyer; the list goes on) as I would with a character on the law enforcement spectrum (a government agent; a police detective; a straight-edge lawyer; again, the list goes on), or even an entirely civilian character who has absolutely nothing to do with Merc's world (but will inevitably get sucked into it eventually through their relationship with Merc). He has plenty of hobbies and interest outside of his job and could easily make a connection through those. I'd also be more than happy to explore a childhood-friends-reunited-as-adults relationship for him.

Whichever the case, I'd adore exploring the relationship in all its aspects and stages, as well as work on a wider plot/world in which everything will take place. I don't like for my roleplays to revolve solely around a romantic relationship between two characters and I love expanding on lore and side-characters. All I ask is that your character feels 'real enough', if that makes sense, and that you take an active part in plotting and driving our threads forward, and that you give me something to work with.