Mobile OC Masterlist - has brief descriptions for each OC
Ask Game Tag
Hi! I'm Mal or M; 26-yr-old Queer writer, they/them. Multifandom, currently obsessed with Elder Scrolls.
My fics are posted both on AO3 and Toyhou.se; there are links in the Projects page. If you send an ask addressed to any of my ocs, I can answer in-character.
My current fic-posting schedule is Ebonsong chapters every Wednesday when I have them, other things are more variable. (Unless I forget, which happens)
See below the cut for project descriptions and more links.
What is Ebonsong?
Ebonsong is my primary Skyrim fanfiction, beginning about twenty years before Alduin's attack on Helgen. It primarily follows the story of a genderfluid Half-Breton Dragonborn named Erlind during their journey through Skyrim, along with a Reachfolk named Nathari and her quest to reclaim the Reach through politics instead of force. Other key characters are a Nord vampire who doesn't want to be an assassin, an Altmer/Imperial thief on a quest to kill her father, and a transfem Orsimer mage intent on learning everything she can about magic.
Themes included in Ebonsong are found family, friends to lovers, acceptance of destiny, the danger of being favoured by the gods, questions of humanity and identity, the power of being given a choice, and more. The overall tone is affected by taking a more realistic look at how certain events will affect a person, but there will be a happy ending.
Posted on AO3 and Toyhou.se. Announcements posted here with every chapter post.
What is Lion Flower?
Lion Flower is a not-yet-started Skyrim fanfiction series adapted from the first trilogy I ever tried to write, following the story of Laurelia Ailiana, the last princess of Summerset who was spared from the execution of the royal family by the Thalmor thanks to a single moment of 'weakness' from one of the agents sent. She is rescued from a life of domestic servitude by a pair of undercover members of the resistance against the Thalmor and goes on to discover several incriminating documents that lead her to flee the Summerset Isles toward mainland Tamriel, where eventually she ends up in Skyrim...and the discovery of a power that would grant a path she had not truly anticipated.
Will be posted on AO3 and Toyhouse.
What is Dancing with the Dead?
Dancing with the Dead is the continuation of what was Faolaine's Journals, following a pair of Last Dragonborn first on their own paths apart until they meet and are forever entwined during Alduin's attack on Helgen, occasionally joined by a Reachfolk werewolf with a quest for vengeance. It is told in a journal format, including the return of Faolaine with her writing now in a more-accurate style, a Redguard adventurer archaeologist named Ahsan at-Idris, and a Dunmer knight-errant turned vampire named Nisimar Sailen.
Will be posted on AO3 and Toyhouse.
Faolaine's original journals are posted here, on Toyhou.se, and on AO3.
What is Blood, Frozen and Aflame?
Blood, Frozen and Aflame is a smaller series set in the same version of Tamriel as Ebonsong, focused on Verandis Ravenwatch and a Vestige by the name of Alvaren Moorston. Alvaren is a Breton trans man who did not realise his state until after being reformed in Coldharbour after his death with the body that he didn't know he'd wanted for years. His history before that shares accidental similarities with the movie A Knight's Tale, but that is a matter - perhaps - for its own installment to the series.
Posted on AO3.
What is Sunsteel and Roses?
Sunsteel and Roses is a not-yet-started Skyrim fanfiction that will follow the story of a Redguard Paladin of Tava named Khayal as they discover that they're Dragonborn and how they respond to the challenges that arise when all they wanted to do was a scholarly pilgrimage. It features a smaller cast than Ebonsong and Lion Flower, primarily being focused on Khayal and the courtesan they eventually fall for.
Will be posted on AO3 and Toyhouse.
I think we’d all prefer it if chatbots never emitted sentences such as 'You should kill yourself.' However, for all the times that 'honesty' is mentioned in Claude’s constitution, I would argue that it is fundamentally dishonest to have a machine emit many categories of sentences, including any sentences using first-person pronouns."
-Ted Chiang, No, Artificial Intelligence Is Not Conscious
so, i noticed that in “sinners,” remmick is portrayed as playing a banjo when he performs. that piqued my interest because i know somebody, hannah mayree, who runs something called the “Black banjo reclamation project” which aims to educate people about the banjo’s african origins and history in Black music, accepts donations of banjos to be distributed for free to Black folks who are interested in playing, and offers shows and events oriented toward helping Black people reconnect to their roots through this instrument.
there’s a campout that starts tomorrow, june 4th, and an online study group that starts this weekend, june 6th, and some events and shows this summer that look really fun. there’s also a newsletter for any future events!
looks like i can’t put the link to the website, but it’s just the name of the project dot org
I have always loved a good banjo. It's crazy bc it's from Africa, but it always gets a bad rap as a Southern White Hick stereotype. Which, interestingly enough, is probably why they gave it to Remmick. A sort of sign that even in this, he's trying to use Our Music to get Inside to Us. But anyway, somebody shredding on a banjo is 🤌🏾🔥
I'd actually love to participate in something like that, because I gave up on this guitar 😭 I don't have the memory and focus anymore to teach myself music.
"everyone experiences [symptom]" how many times does it have to be explained that it's often about the frequency of the symptom, not the symptom itself
"nearly everyone has had a headache before" i agree. "most people get headaches regularly" you're starting to lose me. "it's normal to have a headache all the time" go to a doctor.
"everyone gets anxious sometimes" true! "people get anxious pretty often" um. "it's normal to be anxious all the time" go to a doctor. etc
"nearly everyone has had a headache before" i agree. "most people need to lie down for hours when they get a headache" you're starting to lose me. "it's normal to sob from your headache and take days to recover from it" go to a doctor.
I should write a story with wacky factions that have names that are, to a modern audience, wildly misleading. The Conventionists are radicals who have wildly off-base views, part of a cult called The Convent. The Libertarians are the strict followers of far-future ultra-fascist Roger Libert. The Convicts call themselves that because they value their sense of moral conviction above all else and strictly abide by a legal code that follows said morals; if you commit a crime you're exiled. The Idiots obey their central Idiom: knowledge and education above all else.
"everyone experiences [symptom]" how many times does it have to be explained that it's often about the frequency of the symptom, not the symptom itself
"nearly everyone has had a headache before" i agree. "most people get headaches regularly" you're starting to lose me. "it's normal to have a headache all the time" go to a doctor.
"everyone gets anxious sometimes" true! "people get anxious pretty often" um. "it's normal to be anxious all the time" go to a doctor. etc
"nearly everyone has had a headache before" i agree. "most people need to lie down for hours when they get a headache" you're starting to lose me. "it's normal to sob from your headache and take days to recover from it" go to a doctor.
It's crazy to think that a small side quest in Skyrim proves that the Arcturian Heresy is partially correct. The heresy claims that Tiber Septim/Talos isn't an Atmoran at all, and rather a man from the island of Alcaire in High Rock called Hjalti Early-Beard. Hjalti earned the name/title "Talos" during the Battle of Old Hrol'dan, where a supernatural storm kept Hjalti's forces safe from the enemies' arrows while Hjalti used the thu'um to shout down his opponents' walls.
During the quest at The Ghost of Old Hroldan, after you sleep in the bed that Tiber Septim slept in, a ghost appears and refers to you as 'Hjalti' and asks for your sword. When you give him the sword he mentions that you (Hjalti) and him trained with the sword masters of Alcaire and offers to refresh your memory of this time, before leveling up your one handed and block skills and subsequently disappearing. Now, granted, there's a lot more to the Arcturian Heresy than this, but this quest seems to indicate that the heresy was correct and that Talos was actually a Breton and not Atmoran
It's crazy to think that a small side quest in Skyrim proves that the Arcturian Heresy is partially correct. The heresy claims that Tiber Septim/Talos isn't an Atmoran at all, and rather a man from the island of Alcaire in High Rock called Hjalti Early-Beard. Hjalti earned the name/title "Talos" during the Battle of Old Hrol'dan, where a supernatural storm kept Hjalti's forces safe from the enemies' arrows while Hjalti used the thu'um to shout down his opponents' walls.
During the quest at The Ghost of Old Hroldan, after you sleep in the bed that Tiber Septim slept in, a ghost appears and refers to you as 'Hjalti' and asks for your sword. When you give him the sword he mentions that you (Hjalti) and him trained with the sword masters of Alcaire and offers to refresh your memory of this time, before leveling up your one handed and block skills and subsequently disappearing. Now, granted, there's a lot more to the Arcturian Heresy than this, but this quest seems to indicate that the heresy was correct and that Talos was actually a Breton and not Atmoran
i love your art!!!! your ocs are so cool do you have anything specific you associate with them (colors, songs, quotes, etc)?
There's so much 😭 I'll pick some random things
Philia:
Bright purple and blue (favorite color)
I tend to pick high energy pop songs for Philia to match her energy. I recently added Espresso to the playlist, particularly her PhiLix (that's her ship name with Calix) playlist. He can't get enough of her 💕
She likes to dance! One of those people that dances so good it could be professional.
Flowy dresses, skirts, and jumpsuits. Philia likes to run and play- a lot. So her fathers learned quickly to give her some undershorts bc wasn't no dress about to stop the show 🤣
Kairos:
Deep purple and forest green
Kai is a hipster fashionista. Like I'm not capable of drawing the clothes Kai might wear, but he prefers long pants and long jean skirts, and whatever he feels inspired in. He'll wear sunglasses when he doesn't want to be perceived, which is kind of often when he goes outside or to a public event.
Kairos has such a variety of sounds for me that I can't even pick what his voice sounds like. He's a polymath- music, art, fashion, he can do it all except dance. If it's anything I like, I imagine he can produce it in his lil room studio, even if he doesn't sing on it. However-
Calix:
Kai and Calix enjoy singing together! They both have really good voices. In the Hades AU, their powers (Compelling/Charisma and Emotional Upheaval) work well in sync. I indulge in the idea that if they sang Your Idol from KPDH, it would have much the same effect of controlling the listeners.
Orange and deep blue, like his hair and eyes
Calix dresses like... Like a stereotypical Jock. Not because he's full of himself (though he does know he's handsome) but because he genuinely thinks it looks nice. And it's not that he doesn't look nice in a Letterman or some tight shirts! But then he'll pull out the Damn Daniel khaki shorts and boat shoes and it's like... You look corny 😭 if he wasn't so good looking he'd look like such a trust fund kid (and he is).
Charikleia:
Blonde and icy blue, like her bleached hair and eyes
I don't have any songs for her. I don't listen to hateful bitch ass music 😭
One of the people I based her off of, Park Yeon Jin, is one of my favorite villains. Dressed to a T in all name brand, perfect in all ways, strategically evil and yet really always like one straw away from the backbreaking of the camel.
All four of them are societal messages about something, and Charikleia has my second favorite message because I love the idea of writing about how White Womanhood will always uphold and destroy itself at the same time. I'm tired of being shown the girlbosses- let's admit to some of the most common villains.
I don't know if it's just me being in small fandoms, but fandom as a whole feels...really lonely as of late. People have split themselves up so much that they don't discuss things the way they did before, they just kind of post their stuff and leave and half their audience "consumes" it like "content". There's no comments, barely kudos, the only places fans talk with each other anymore are on private discord servers that no one ever finds out about...I don't know, I'm a bit of an old and I feel like I'm screaming out into the void for no reason at this point. Sure, "somebody" will like my stuff, but will I ever get to know about it?
I think about this kind of thing a lot, anon, and I think my generation (Gen X/xillennial) kind of did folks dirty a bit.
In our defense, we didn't know we were.
I'm an educator by profession, as well as on this hobby blog, and so I spend a lot of time thinking about how people learn things. A lot of learning is social, and a lot of it happens when parents teach their children.
When I was growing up, pre-internet, my parents taught me how to talk to other adults in our community, how to play with other children, how to order food in a restaurant, how to call a business and ask a question. They literally walked me through how to do all of that stuff and more because those were daily skills in the world at that time.
We've spent the last 20+ years talking about how kids today are "digital natives" - but have we spent enough time teaching kids how to keep a conversation going when you're not in the same room as the other person? How to leave a comment on a post by a person you don't know? How to show your appreciation to a content creator? What a content creator even is and how that differs from a fan creator?
I know there are a lot of jokes out there about different things that would kill a Victorian child, but I think what would actually be difficult for them would be the lack of rules and instructions that kids today receive from the adults in their lives.
I don't have kids myself, so maybe this is all just bullshit and I'm talking directly out of my ass. But a LOT of the time when I notice someone doing something 'wrong' it's because no one ever told them how to do it right.
I kind of suspect that might be part of what's happening in fandom these days. Combine the above with the fact that fandom got inundated with new members in 2020 during quarantine and lock downs, and it's not surprising to me that a large percentage of the people in fandom today don't approach things the way that we used to before.
i don't fault them for it. When fandom was smaller and the internet was new, we used to take the time to bring people in. But now, it feels like 'everyone knows XYZ' so why does it need to be taught? And with how fast things move, it's more rare for newcomers to lurk for a while before they dive into everything.
This is a very long answer to a problem that probably just needed a listening ear, but I hope what you take away from this is an understanding that you're not the only one who feels the difference. I see this same experience shared in the notes on my posts all the time.
There is no easy fix for the situation and it certainly won't be fast to change, but maybe if we mentor a bit more when we have the spoons to, we can shift the culture a bit? One fan at a time?
If you managed to get all the way to the end of this, do yourself a favour and leave a comment on a fic or reblog a post with some chatty tags. DM somemeone or tag them or send them an ask just to let them know you see them and you think they're cool.
Even if nothing happens as a result, you tried. And maybe you just made someone's day. 💗
💬 1 🔁 0 ❤️ 60 · reference post about the "phantom report bug" · this post is not rebloggable because i need to be able to update it and ed
^^^ i spent all night and yesterday compiling information about a "phantom report bug", where people are getting emails from tumblr support about TOS reports they did not file. pjackk was banned off one of these phantom reports, i told tumblr support about it, and now he's unbanned. i think @garaks-padded-bra was also banned erroneously off a phantom report, so hopefully that will get reversed soon as well
PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR PHANTOM REPORT EMAILS. if you spot any, even if theyre old, tell me about them so i can add them to the list (linked above), and report them to tumblr support. POLITELY. tumblr support wants to fix this.
