Red Ink Writing

Interactive Fiction Author and Writer 26 | They/Them 18+ MDNI.

[redinkwriting]

Panthalassa IF

Panthalassa is rated 18+. This story contains mature/dark themes (warnings below) and is intended for readers over the age of 18.

DEMO TBA (The prologue is currently being written)

GENRES

Sci-fi. Romance. Action. Horror.

SYNOPSIS

There is a point in life when someone learns about the ocean, mystery deep waters that either draw them in or terrify them. You were always the ladder, finding the unknown fascinating, it even led you to become a marine biologist.

You made your home on Twilight Point, a human settlement and resource facility founded on the water planet Panthalassa, the perfect place for people to avoid the ongoing conflicts on Earth. That’s part of the reason why you accepted a career at Twilight Point.

You’re part of Elijah Claire’s Field Research Team, Team Seven, sent out on a mundane expedition to Shepard Station for wildlife observation and resource gathering. Simple.

Except… Something felt off about this trip. With the journey being joined by a handful of security personnel, you have a feeling Elijah and the higher-ups aren’t being completely honest with the true intention of your crew’s expedition.

Seems your suspicions weren’t unfounded. When the radar picks up a strange signal, your standard trip turns into a fight for survival. You never used to believe in monsters, until you had to fight one to stay alive. 

The remnants leave you and a handful of survivors stranded at Shepard station with no way home, but not all hope is lost, being able to send an SOS to Twilight Point for a rescue team. You have the safety of walls and resources, enough to survive until help is sent out. 

However, you want answers.

Find out why the research team was really sent out here. Help keep the survivors alive and sane. Investigate the creature lurking in the water and prepare, it may attack again.

Did it ever leave? Better yet, is it what you truly need to worry about?

FEATURES

Gender selectable. Play as female, male or non-binary

Shape your character’s personality and appearance.

Enjoy the beautiful and terrifying world of Panthalassa.

Survive a crash, investigate what happened, wait for rescue and try not to get eaten.

Have romance filled with the growing essence of pure love, or fuel a toxic obsessiveness with the story’s love interest.

Watch out for that bloodlust stat. It’ll getcha’ (bad endings).

ROMANCE OPTION

Try not to get eaten and find some good ear protection, this siren finds you particularly interesting...

Name: Sanguine Pronouns: He/They Gender: Non-Binary Race: Siren Age: Ancient Personality: Sanguine is trouble. Jumping between a playful demeanor full of whimsy, to an ill-tempered monster that often relies on intimidation and violence to get themself out of situations. Aside from lacking a moral compass, Sanguine shows a level of affection to those they like and seems to understand human emotions.

WARNINGS

Blood and violence

Gore

Graphic body horror

Humans being consumed

Intense survival situations

Mentions of suicide/self-harm

Trauma

Experiencing insomnia/sleep Paralysis

Nightmare sequences

Use of Alcohol/Drugs

Death scenes

Dark romance

Non-human love interest

Questionable morals/Morally questionable choices

Distrust between characters

Manipulation

Hypnosis/Mind Control/Lack of control

Touching without consent (In the sense of fighting and experiments)

Obsessive/Possessive love interest

Swearing and adult language

Nudity

Monster/Human romance

Enemies to lovers?

Predator/Prey dynamic

Sexual content

Light BDSM elements

Bloodplay (optional/avoidable)

I’ll add more warnings as I write.

[redinkwriting]

I'm not sure if I ever posted this here, I know I definitely yapped about it on my art account.

I recommend listening to the song Gladiator by Jann. Listened to it once and knew right away that's how I imagined Sanguine sounds when singing. Graceful and haunting.

[redmonstermash]

I wanted to work on concepts to show off the different settings in Panthalassa and give myself visuals of sorts while writing. This one is a WIP I'm currently working on of MC's room! ✨

What other decor and trinkets should I add? Maybe some colour to bring life to the room? 🤔

Bonus Sanguine WIP!

[redinkwriting]

Would Sanguine's siren voice work on a deaf MC, or???

Ooooh, I've thought about this, actually helped a lot in figuring out just how siren abilities work and can effect people.

I would love to hear others thoughts on this too, but my short answer is no. Sanguine's voice wouldn't work normally with a deaf MC.

[redinkwriting]

Where y'all coming from?! Oh goodness I have nothing ready...

Hello, new lovelies! I'm sorry it's so barren here at the moment.

But! On a good note, just in time for me to finish rewriting and editing this Sanguine NSFW Alphabet (which kind of turned into 'Learn about siren anatomy' pffft).

[redinkwriting]

I have a bunch of art and little writing snippets on the way!

Feeling super awful for not posting much and missing a march update post.

To make it short and vague, my health had a flare up and left me bedridden for a little bit, made me feel drained. My PCOS stuff is also acting up. Nothing too awful from all ends and I'm already feeling much better. ✨😌

I just want to get back to drawing and writing at this point. I've been resting with so many ideas swimming around my head. Mostly Panthalassa stuff, but also a bunch of stuff for another Interactive Fiction idea I've been brainstorming.

[redinkwriting]

😭

-Bug anon

I'm so sorry, Anon! Will it make it any better if Sanguine's enough of a fearless dumby to try and eat em?

'It's free protein, Seaweed." -Sang, probably

[bambistjames]

non-writers will never understand the mental illness of writing an entire conversation in your head while doing dishes and then forgetting every word the second you open a blank doc

[silkanddeath-if]

Silk and Death

Demo (TBA)

In the Empire of Qerus, Emperor Alekos rules with an iron fist. He is a tyrant, an abomination who cares only for dining on the terror of his people and sating his own bloodlust. He rules the realm with an iron fist, and all those within it tremble in his presence. He is a monster through and through.

But all monsters must fall eventually.

You are a member of the Guild of the Kiss, an elite organization of assassins that will snuff out the lives of anyone and everyone -- so long as the price is right. By now, the blood on your hands is endless. But when you are called to infiltrate Alekos' harem and assassinate him, even you pause. Is this truly something you can get away with?

You must navigate the dangers of harem politics, intrigue, and the displeasure of the most powerful people in the empire as you navigate this new terrain.

The fate of the empire is in your hands, assassin. Make your choices wisely.

Note: Silk and Death is genderlocked with a female MC

The game has four romance options. They go as follows:

Alekos (M)

The monstrous emperor whom you have been charged with assassinating. Alekos is cruel beyond words, fickle, and eccentric -- a dangerous combination. Will he lose his life to you, or will you lose your heart to him? And what will he do if he discovers your plot?

Alekos is tall and slender. He has pale skin, curly black hair, and pale, nearly colorless gray eyes. His features are deceptively delicate and feminine.

Marios (M)

Alekos' cousin and the heir to the throne. Marios is stern and no-nonsense, having been run ragged trying to preserve the empire in the face of Alekos' antics. Should you be successful in your quest to kill Alekos, he will ascend to the throne.

Marios is tall and muscular. He has sun-kissed skin, wavy golden hair, and eyes the color of the azure sky. His features are strong and bold.

Theophano (F)

A woman in Alekos' harem. Theophano is cunning, proud, and determined to rise in the ranks of the imperial court no matter what. Amidst the constant backstabbing of the emperor's harem, she reigns supreme.

Theophano stands at an average height and is slender. She has light brown skin, tightly curled black hair she keeps in braids, and hazel eyes. Her features are fragile.

Eleni (F)

The handmaiden who has been assigned to you as a member of Alekos' harem. Eleni is sweet, gentle, and kind-hearted. Many would take this for weakness, but there is a strength in her. Anyone who underestimates her would be a fool.

Eleni is short with soft, ample curves. She has pale, freckled skin, fiery red hair, and light brown eyes. Her features are soft and heart-shaped.

Customize your MC's appearance and personality to truly define who she is

Navigate harem politics and court politics more broadly

Choose between four unique romance options

Become a mother! Or don't

Hold the fate of an empire in your hands

Note: This is a secondary project to my main game, @brighteststars-if. While I of course plan on devoting time and attention to this IF, it is not my first priority as a result. This intro post is also a reupload after some drama the first go around. Fingers crossed this time things will be better.

@interact-if

[redinkwriting]

I stayed up to 4am to finish the current page and now I must sleep.

[redinkwriting]

I love sea creatures!! They're a good mix of familiar and alien (and I hope the bug ones don't show up in the game or I'll die)

Me too, anon!! Thank you as well, I'm glad it comes off as a good blend of familiar and alien, I was super worried they'd be TOO similar to the marine wildlife here 😅 Current skills limit just how much detail I wanted to add.

As for the bug...

[redinkwriting]

Creatures of Panthalassa (Entry 1/?)

Below you'll find a list of species that call Panthalassa their home, from the smallest critter to the biggest gentle giants!

Please feel free to point out anything that looks wrong with the names and pictures, I only had my humble brain, imagination and a bunch of books 😭. I can't draw animals to save my life-

Reminder my ask box is always open for suggestions, questions and feedback! I'm even organizing a little 'Dress the RO' (basically send in outfits and I'll draw Sang in them, thought it could be funny pfft.)

Hydrolycus Anguilliformes Simplified Name: Blood Eels or Vampire Eels Life Span: 10 - 20 years Leech-like eels that lack eyes to see, but make up for it with an enhanced sense of smell and size, reaching between seven to eight feet when matured. They are not deadly to most of the sea life on Panthalassa, being classed as more of a parasite then predator, but are the favoured food of sirens and moonbeam seals.

Zoephagos Cymothoa Simplified Name: Soul Isopod Life Span: 6 - 18 months Parasitic isopods that latch onto the eye of its host, feeding until its large enough to travel to the brain, consume it and rewire itself as the host's new nervous system. The consumption process is slow, the host being left in a state of aggression. Once the brain is consumed, the isopod is able to take over its host and live on in their body long enough to give birth to a brood. After, the soul isopod perishes and its young feeds on the host’s remains. 

Astron Balaenoptera Simplified Name: Star Whale Life Span: 900 - 2000 years Large whales, similar to the blue whales found on earth, with white semi-transparent blabber that reveals the large glowing bone structure and organs beneath. Star whales are passive creatures that travel in pods and show enough intelligence to form bonds and adopt other species into their family. They don’t have many predators, being too large, but are the most common prey for parasitic marine life, like blood eels and soul isopods. MC has a strong bond with a female star whale that was being attacked by blood eels, saving her resulted in the star whale migrating often near Twilight Point just to see MC.

Selene Phocidae Simplified Name: Moonbeam Seal Life Span: 200 years One of the cutest creatures living on Panthalassa, looking similar to the sea lions found on earth, with the key differences being some variation in their anatomy and a cosmic colour palette. Moonbeam seals have blackish blue fur with glowing white speckles along their spines and flippers, this is so they can blend into the water and hide from predators. They are very curious and friendly creatures, though are noted to be very aggressive when protecting their pups.

[redmonstermash]

Full versions of Sanguine's new character design!

[redmonstermash]

I forgot to turn on the vein layer-

[redmonstermash]

Panthalassa January Update

Good evening, Lovelies 🦇✨

It has been rather busy over the holidays, I barely had time to sit down to enjoy some art and writing. I was working on stuff when I could, but now I finally have some free time to post content and update everyone.

Panthalassa was the story I was primarily focusing on when I could find time to sit and write.

To start us off, I designed and made a new title card! I might still find a different font, but for now, I love this! 🤍 I'm weirdly proud how this turned out (Sanguine made me good at drawing suddenly???)

Next up, I can't recall if I mentioned deciding on the traits and features I'd like to implement into Panthalassa, but I did figure out some I'd like to write and see.

MC Appearance Choices (These are mostly to add flavour text here and there.)

Eye Colour

Hair Colour

Hair Style/Type

Hair Length

Any desired MC features you want to see that I haven't added? I'm happy to add a few more and my ask box is always open! I'll hear all suggestions and be sure to add as many as I can. ✨

Personality Traits (It will be similar to most IFs in the fact certain choices put points into a certain trait.)

Shy | Bold (Romance trait)

Emotional | Stoic

Cautious | Reckless

Kind | Sarcastic

Charming | Intimidating

Mischevious | Serious

I do want to be rather flexible with traits, since I want to have fun with writing flavour text and important scenes for the MC. Again, ask box is always open for suggestions on what traits you want to see/don't want to see. I wish I could also explain this weird temptation to add more and more.

Skills (Discontinued.)

In the end, I decided to move away from adding skills. MC is a Marine Biologist, so it felt silly to add a system that determines how smart they are in a field they study and work in. With things like strength, teamwork, Piloting, etc. It just kind of all felt too forced to me to add all that.

BUT. I have decided a different new system to keep MC on their toes.

State (What is MC's current state. Physical well-being? Sanity? These traits will have to be managed to avoid bad things happening and difficulty during dangerous situations.)

Sanity

Health

Bloodlust (Don't worry about it)

Don't worry about it.

How much have I written?

In terms of the story, I've almost finished Panthalassa's prologue and started chapter 1 (just so I didn't lose the idea I had for the starting scene.)

I find that I write and draft weirdly, so to explain it a little bit and help understand what I'm up to, I listed my process below.

Write the main story (just a normal formated story in a word doc).

Mark and decide where I want to write and place choices/options.

Write in options and any flavour text associated with choices and traits.

Code.

I often make sure I have everything written and edited before I start coding a chapter.

That being said, I'm currently going between adding more to the prologue and marking places I want to add choices/options.

Finishing up, it's very clear my main focus this year will be Panthalassa. My goal is to, at the very least, upload the prologue this year (Fingers crossed I can do it!) Additionally, I'd like to post more additional content this year and have a few things lined up and planned.

An idea to help with that- If I post certain scenes from the prologue and chapter 1, would you be interested in me working with everyone to create fun responses and reactions from the MC?

I need to cut it here or I could write forever about ideas and what I want to get done. Reminder, my ask box is open to questions, suggestions and just general conversation about Panthalassa, Sanguine, MC, etc!

Thank you all for taking the time to read, I understand I put a lot here pffft. 😂 Just wanted to get better at posting updates. Expect me to be more active online and clear with where I'm up to in the process.

Have a good day/night everyone and a reminder before I go- eat some food, take your meds (if you take any), drink some water and be good people.

-Red

[redmonstermash]

Sanguine's Playlist

Thought I'd share the music I listen to while writing for Panthalassa or whenever I write about anything to do with Sanguine! 🦈✨

Apologies for the random mixture of genres in advance, a lot of different songs remind me of the silly fish alien and my music taste has always been all over the place 😂

Music below!

🔻Sanguine Playlist🔻

Gladiator - Jann (How I imagine Sang sounds when singing)

Blood/Water - Grandson

Daisy - Ashnikko

Talk Like That - The Presets

This Boy's in Love - The Presets

Movement - Hozier

Slow Dancing in the Dark - Joji

Nicotine - Panic! at the Disco

Trouble's Coming - Royal Blood

Stalker's Tango - Autoheart

I Wanna be Your Slave - Måneskin

Hypnosis - Sleep Token

Bonus Picks

(Extra songs picked by my partner! AKA Sang's Sad Bitch Playlist)

You Said You'd Grow Old With Me - Michael Schulte

Famous Last Words - My Chemical Romance

Changes - Black Sabbath (Charles Bradley Cover)

The Line - Twenty-One Pilots

Can't Help Falling In Love - Twenty-One Pilots

Take What You Want - Post Malone, Ozzy Osbourne

Sora - Max Louis

Lumière - Clair Obsur: Expedition 33 (Power Plant Band Cover) (Added because this is what Sang sounds like to my partner, he thinks Sanguine be cool like that pfft)

[redmonstermash]

Touch starved

Didn't get much time to finish it up, but here it is. ✨

Sanguine just wants a hug, they're totally trustworthy 🦈...

Along with this, I thought I'd post a few random Sanguine facts while trying not to spoil things pffft, feel free to ask any more questions about them!

His favourite food is Blood Eels (A type of eel that mostly feeds on blood, kind of look like giant leeches.)

Like all sirens, Sanguine is able to use their voice to mess with people.

Sanguine has a giant sweet tooth.

They have a second row of teeth that come out when opening their mouth wide enough.

Sanguine has an older sister and little brother. Beware of his sister.

Their love language is mainly physical touch (if I didn't make that obvious 😭 I have no subtly)

Now back to writing 💃 Have a good day, lovelies!

[redmonstermash]

Don't help them, they're in time-out.

(Writing bits of chapter 1 made me need to put Sang in the corner. Bad fish, bad.)