#ntcmp

[innocentlymacabre]

NOW THEY CALL ME THE PLAGUE: BONUS BOOK / 1

Tahir "Trance" Das: chaotic neutral, self-inflicted disaster, tattooed softie.

Check out his tattoos (and passable attempt at painting) as the first entry in the NTCMP Bonus Book!

This is the first of the Macabre Marketplace's monthly bonus vials from the still-brewing Now They Call Me the Plague, exclusively available for Ko-fi members.

taglist in the replies. ask to be added/removed!

[innocentlymacabre]

NOW THEY CALL ME THE PLAGUE: BONUS BOOK / 2

Histories.

Now They Call Me the Plague is gothic historical fiction set against the backdrop of the golden age of piracy. The book, aptly described as “Pirates of the Caribbean meets The Sandman, wrapped in Our Flag Means Death”, is told in a split point-of-view, following the first-person accounts of a mystery figure – a Dream trapped in the waking realm – and a third-person limited telling of the other characters.

This month's bonus book entry is pulled from one of the recounts of our mystery Dream and details their accidental involvement in Thredfrost's history, obscurity, and security.

The Macabre Marketplace proudly features monthly bonus vials from the still-brewing Now They Call Me the Plague, exclusively available for Ko-fi members. An annual subscription - taken monthly - starts at £36.

taglist in the replies. ask to be added/removed!

[innocentlymacabre]

thank you @sarandipitywrites for the last line tag :))

Here's the last bit I wrote for Now They Call Me the Plague ~

Dee pushed in the door to her backroom. Eda had only gotten glimpses of the room through marginally ajar cracks before, but she was certain the glowing creepers stretching across every wall like veins were new. Thick tendrils wrapped around each other in a dizzying pattern, basking the room in a green light. They converged at the back end, pointing downwards. Dee waved her hand and the vines parted, revealing a trap door.

“I’m getting stronger,” she said with a smile, addressing Trance and Eda’s shocked faces.

tagging @kaatiba @albatris @abalonetea @derinthescarletpescatarian if you're so obliged

taglist in the replies. ask to be added/removed!

[innocentlymacabre]

hey if you're having trouble getting words out, it may be because you're not happy with where the story is going. it could be worth taking a step back and reexamining the plot to see if it still excites you.

- from someone who is now replanning the second half of their book

[innocentlymacabre]

Now They Call Me the Plague is gothic historical fiction set against the backdrop of the golden age of piracy. As the fright death ravages the land, Trance’s macabre curiosity is piqued, spurred forth by his discovery of a ship that sails across the tumultuous currents of Nightmares and Dreams. He drags Eda, his retired-from-the-seas best friend, along as they set sail on the adventures of multiple lifetimes.

Starting tomorrow, the Macabre Marketplace will have bonus vials once a month from the still-brewing Now They Call Me the Plague, exclusively available for Ko-fi members.

For £3, you'll get The Big Book of NTCMP Bonus Content, early access fiction, exclusive stories, and discounted commissions.

For £7, you are additionally free to request deep dives into any aspect of your choosing, be that more about a character's background, an aspect of worldbuilding, a sideplot, or something else altogether!

[innocentlymacabre]

I have just learnt about the wonderful term matelotage, the word for marriage between male pirates, used in the 1600s.

matelot partners apparently shared loot from voyages, and ships even paid surviving partners the deceased's share! it seems like this is where we get the word "matey" from too and as someone currently writing a book about gay pirates, I am simply delighted :)

[innocentlymacabre]

Happy Storyteller Saturday! Your OC is sent to Pompeii 24 hours before the eruption. Do they try to convince people to leave? If so, how? Would they be successful?

Ooo thanks for the ask! I'll be answering for Now They Call Me the Plague, a gothic historical fiction novel set against the backdrop of the golden age of piracy.

Back during Eda's sailing days, she quickly came to care fiercely for her crew but regarded others with a general air of suspicion. She never lost her care when she decided to make permanent port at Thredfrost but still generally only bothers with those close to her heart. She'll likely do her darndest to get them to safety, but I'm not too sure about the rest.

Trance, on the other hand, is an absolute bleeding heart. I don't know how successful he'll be - he's not exactly the most convincing orator - but you will not be able to question his effort.

As the fright death sweeps the land, leaving a trail of lifeless sacrifices, a Dream desperately claws their way back to the Dreaming, having spent eternity trapped in the conscious realm.

The infestation’s merciless wake piques Trance’s macabre curiosity, spurred forth by his discovery of a ship that sails across the tumultuous currents of Nightmares and Dreams. They drag Eda, their retired-from-the-seas best friend, along with them as they set sail on the adventures of multiple lifetimes, unwittingly getting themselves irreversibly entwined with fates and forces far beyond their comprehension.

Now They Call me the Plague is gothic historical fiction set against the backdrop of the golden age of piracy. All that remains to be seen is how many more will fall at the altar of an unforgiving death.

[innocentlymacabre]

NOW THEY CALL ME THE PLAGUE ⤳ a wip intro

As the fright death sweeps the land, leaving a trail of lifeless sacrifices, a Dream desperately claws their way back to the Dreaming, having spent eternity trapped in the conscious realm. The infestation’s merciless wake piques Trance’s macabre curiosity, spurred forth by his discovery of a ship that sails across the tumultuous currents of Nightmares and Dreams. They drag Eda, their retired-from-the-seas best friend, along with them as they set sail on the adventures of multiple lifetimes, unwittingly getting themselves irreversibly entwined with fates and forces far beyond their comprehension. Now They Call Me the Plague is gothic historical fiction set against the backdrop of the golden age of piracy. All that remains to be seen is how many more will fall at the altar of an unforgiving death.

STATUS: drafting

GENRE: horror / historical fiction / fantasy / queernormative world

MEDIUM: novel

WARNINGS: substance (ab)use, alcohol, sexual activity (implied), swearing (moderate to heavy), mental health issues, death

(will be modified as necessary)

LINKS: WIP tag (x) | Trance (x) | Eda (x)

CHARACTERS:

Eda Harp (she/her). Refuses to call coffee anything other than “bean juice”. Secretly has a soft spot for just about everything in the world, but is very careful about who she reveals that to.

Tahir Das (he/they). Was given the half-mocking nickname “Trance” by Eda due to his affinity for zoning out at a moment's notice, but they liked it and decided to go by it, much to the former’s annoyance.

Dee (she/they). Theoretically has a last name, but is just as cryptic about that as they are about what goes in their blends of spices and custom rum.

Tyler Mayne (she/her). Owns Smokey’s, the tavern at which Eda works, and, although will never admit to it, has something of a soft spot for her.

Joe Pines (he/him). Tyler’s husband and bartender at their tavern. The closest thing to psychic when it comes to predicting your drink order (it helps that pirates typically want rum).

Maya Lancali (she/her). Short for Shanaya, but use her full name, and whether she’s got a sword in her pants or is just happy to see you will become plenty clear.

general taglist (ask to be added/removed!): @caspersgraveyard @zephsthings @mrunmione @iftitah @cloudofbutterflies @impossible-ozzie-deactivated202 @kissitoff @jacquesfindswritingandadvice // newsletter

picture credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

any boosting would be much appreciated!