#charsimsalot

[dead-lights]

playlist challenge - occult edition

Thank you @charsimsalot for tagging me for this challenge. My slashed renders were heavily inspired by album artwork from the white stripes, so it seemed appropriate to recycle them here!

spotify links below!

[freezerbnuuy]

"15. who is your current favorite sim that is not by you?"

From these questions. I'll answer this one first, it's easier. It's Saxen, @herecirmsims's character. He's gorgeous and I love the story tidbits I know about him;-;

[alltimefail-sims]

I thought what you said about using Granite Falls as part of your Moonwood Mood storytelling was an neat idea. I would be interested to hear more about that!

Sorry it took me a minute to type up the response to this ask; I would absolutely LOVE to expand on this, thank you so much for asking!! I will warn you that this ended up being quite a longwinded explanation of my personal Werewolf world lore, so I'm sorry about that in advance! 🙈😂

Let’s get into it! ↓

I've talked about how I don't treat sim worlds as isolated entities in the past, but I've never gotten deep into that - I'll start there so my Moonwood lore makes sense!

Basically, I see Granite Falls as a location within Moonwood Mill. To go one step further, I actually don't even see Moonwood Mill as its own isolated "world" but rather as a small town within a bigger city within a bigger state within a country and so on. Think of Granite Falls as a large property within Moonwood Mill, and Moonwood Mill as an industrial, dying small town that is within driving distance to its larger city counterpart Evergreen Harbor, and all of these places exist in the same state. For me, the states these worlds are a part of are usually real-life states! Of course not all the worlds feel "American" to me (Selvadorada, Tomorang, Mt. Komerebi being perfect examples) but the ones that do usually get categorized this way in my mind.

For example: San Sequoia and Del Sol Valley are the easiest and most widely accepted representation of this idea. I treat both of these "worlds" as large, neighboring cities that exist within the same state, much like their assumed real-world counterparts Los Angeles and San Francisco which both reside in California. Another example is San Myshuno which I've seen a lot of players think of in the same way they see New York City, which resides in New York State. Moonwood Mill, Granite Falls, and Evergreen Harbor all function this way in my mind and would all share the same state! (I'm not a geography whiz, so I've never given it much though which irl state they would be a part of, but with the greenery, industrial, and dreary/rainy vibes my money would be on Washington or, alternatively, I personally see them being in a state that falls somewhere in the Appalachian area, like West Virginia!)

Okay, that's the long explanation I had to get out of the way before I jump into this next lore part... sorry! I'm getting to the good stuff now though, I promise!

Granite Falls and Moonwood Mill are on an even smaller scale than the San Sequoia/Del Sol Valley relationship, in my opinion. To me, Granite Falls feels like a national park or forest/nature preserve that surrounds Moonwood Mill and therefore ultimately falls under their jurisdiction. HOWEVER, the primary caretakers of Granite Falls are technically an independent commune... better known as "The Moonwood Collective."

I don't think there's enough room in the town center of Moonwood Mill to accommodate two whole wolf packs AND the handful of human locals that remain. Additionally, when you take into consideration the canon growing tension between these two packs and their various different ways of life, I have a hard time seeing them effectively coexisting in such close proximity. Besides that, Modern Moonwood Mill in its broken down, industrial, haphazard state suits the Wildfangs more than The Moonwood Collective - I can see the influence that the Wildfangs have had on the area, but where is The Collective's influence? Even the layout of Moonwood Mill and the lots which are located within walking distance of the rowdy dive bar screams Wildfang energy to me.

We also know that The Collective is much older than the Wildfangs, as it was formed back when Moonwood Mill was just beginning to have settlers and refugees who were fleeing from conflict (the big magical war between spellcasters/vampires/werewolves). Referred to only as "Moonwood" back then due to the area's obvious connection to the moon's energy, the founders of the town established The Collective - in the sims lore, it seems to imply that The Collective is the first pack of its kind to organize werewolves into a hierarchal structure with the goal of encouraging self-sustainability, diplomatic communication, and communal contribution within its wolf members. In my mind, I've always seen The Collective as people who reject societal comforts and embrace naturalism, self-discipline/emotional control, herbalism and holistic medicine practices, minimalist living, homesteading, community caretaking, things of that nature... and there really isn't anywhere in Moonwood Mill specifically that conveys that kind of influence. Granite Falls, however, sure feels magical with its sprawling plantlife and natural oddities... that is a place that could support their lifestyle!

If you look at the maps of these two places, it isn't hard to imagine Granite Falls as the wooded area close to the Moonwood Lunvik Lake, the spot where werewolves can "awaken the wolf" if they swim there during a full moon, because Granite falls is surrounded by various bodies of water AND mountain structures on it's right side... just like the mountain structures and woods that frame Moonwood Mill in the upper left hand of its map! Let me give you two shitty graphics I made to help illustrate what I mean:

It's not a one-for-one perfect comparison, but it's so damn close that it feels natural to see the worlds as complimentary! Especially with The Collective's connection to the ancient spiritualism of the original wolves and mooncasters, it just makes sense that they would opt live in a commune-esque community on the outskirts of Moonwood Mill, as opposed to being right in the epicenter of town. This way they're close to the sacred Lunvik Lake, just far enough outside of society to seclude their true nature, but still close enough to help the remaining human locals. I even have a silly headcanon that the "Big Foot" of Granite Falls is actually just the pack-less werewolf Greg, as we know he lives secluded, deep in the forest...it just makes sense that people might see him raging in wolf form at night and be like "Oh shit, big foot!"

With the Wildfangs being a newer pack that is more open to embracing the wolf parts of themselves, they wouldn't feel the need to "hide" and pull themselves out of society in the way that The Collective does. That being said, they also wouldn't have the resources, structure, and defined communal space that a very old pack like The Collective would have... therefore they're just scattered around Moonwood Mill in their family homes, the trailer park (some people do a motel instead - I can see both working well), and so on. Some lots even tell their buyers to ignore the "howling in the distance," and because the Collective hides their true nature, I feel this must be referring to the Wildfang's full moon antics and their willingness to "embrace the beast."

Either way, It seems to me that The Collective has always believed it best to stay hidden, so it makes sense that they would form their community on the outskirts of Moonwood Mill not just for their own safety, but for the safety of the human locals as well. I think they likely relocated to Granite Falls years before the Wildfangs existed and when a huge uptick in human settlers came in, chasing the riches associated with Moonwood's mines or, more likely, the mills which the town would be eventually named after. But as time went on and the town went to ruin (some people theorize due to the wolves, some people theorize the town's natural industries just became less profitable in the age of technology), people abandoned it and opted to move to the newer city - Evergreen Harbor. (See, we came full circle!)

That kind of leads us to where I'm at in my game, in "modern day." A lot of time has passed, and Moonwood Mill has changed dramatically since its inception. I prefer to imagine that the remaining human locals are not fully aware of the werewolves living among them with 100% certainty, but there are legends and stories. The oldest locals cultivate and pass down not just the stories but the protective practices to their children and grandchildren as well: don't go into the woods on a full moon, if the woods get quiet out of nowhere stay calm and find the closest way out, close all the blinds when it gets dark, don't go out on a full moon, bring the animals in or secure them in the barn for their protection on full moon nights, if you hear a whistle in the woods do not whistle back, and so on. Unfortunately, those stories, wives' tales, and superstitions tend to attract potential enemies to werewolf-kind: rogue vampires seeking to harm werewolves and even occult hunters. HOWEVER, by retreating into the woods, The Collective are closer to what they believe is their spiritual source - Lunvik Lake - where the original mooncasters created werewolves and Myshupotamians worshipped the moon. By being closer to their source, they are strengthened and therefore able to keep out potential threats, protect their own pack, and watch over Moonwood Mill as a whole more effectively. I don't think the Wildfangs are particularly interested in this part of their Lyncanthropy - its something uniquely embeded in the history of The Collective and why it was created in the first place.

LASTLY, my Moonwood Mill/magic world in general is actually years ahead of where we start in game, and in my mind the magic world is on the precipice of another war (a long anticipated response after the destruction caused by Operation Eternal Flame. Vlad isn't one to take losses, and the Spellcaster/Vampire tensions are still very much palpable). I'm not going to get fully into all that, but I will say that the Wildfangs are a far more established pack, still led by their alpha, Rory (albeit a much older, wiser Rory) and The Collective is led by Rory's adoptive brother, Jacob Volkov, after their father (and former alpha of The Collective) Kristopher died. Although the tensions between the Wildfangs and The Moonwood Collective aren't as severe any more, they do still have trouble coexisting from an occult governance/council perspective. Again, I have a whole lore about occult governance as well, but I won't get into all that either haha. The TLDR is that there are two big issues between the Wildfangs and The Collective at the present moment: the first being how Rory has gone about growing the Wildfangs (by recruiting pack-less werewolves outside of Moonwood Mill, something The Collective has always been against since its inception) and second, their willingness to work with spellcasters if another occult war breaks out.

Okay... I'm done now! I'm cutting myself off! That may have been more than you were looking for...I'm truly sorry!!!

I hope I managed to answer your question (and some). Thank you for asking me about this, I literally never get to talk occult lore and it is one of my favorite things to explore in the sims!! I feel like no one cares about my occult headcanons and such... but sometimes that's all I want to talk about lmao. If I had the time and talent to make a story about this very topic, I WOULD! But for now this is all I have to offer <3

Thank you again for this ask, it made my week!!

[igotsnothing]

📩 Simblr question of the day: What is a pack you love but the community dilikes or no one else appears to use/enjoy?

@simblr-question-of-the-day

Hmmm... I don't know about love, but let's say I definitely don't hate these packs as much as some folks do. You know, as a world, Batuu is so very limited and doesn't mesh with the others. In gameplay, I would always view going to it as some kind of hallucination or amusement park. However, I don't hate it. I think some of the items are really cool and some of the clothes are very nice (good colors, clean lines).

For example, these outfits? I like them! I use them often.

Another world that I always thought was very blah is Magnolia Promenade. It's just very small and weird- a neighborhood more than a proper town- but I got some ideas on customizing it and it actually works for me.

I wish we could opt to have the vacation worlds be actual "home" worlds, because I want characters living and working in Selvadorada or living out in the boonies in Granite Falls and not dealing with a vacation timer. I saw a mod that allows you to do that, but I just have the feeling that could majorly screw up things. Maybe not? I'm too chicken to try it.

Thanks for sharing this SQOTD! These are always fun!

[alltimefail-sims]

📩 Simblr question of the day: what's your favorite outfit category to dress your sims in? (everyday, formal, swim etc.) include pictures of some of your favorite fits (if you can).

Passing on the SQOTD from @simblr-question-of-the-day!

This is a great question, and I knew my answer immediately: the everyday outfit category is easily my favorite!!

I feel like a sim's everyday outfit tells you so much about their personality, so I put a TON of (unnecessary) time an into picking the *perfect* outfit. This is also where I figure out a sim's "staple" parts of their wardrobe - makeup style, the cut/fit they may prefer in their clothes, perhaps a signature accessory, etc. - that will follow into each category.

Here are a few of my favorite looks I've done:

Not included here because I'm lazy, but honorable mention to Strawberry Shortcake and Orange Blossom's fits from my "Berry Sweet Sim Dump" series, all of Lilith Vatore's everyday outfits from her lookbook, and Lucas Munch's Valentines Day fits lookbook (oldie but a goodie - I always have fun dressing my baby Lucas up).

Thank you for passing this prompt along to me! <3

[alltimefail-sims]

I reread your post about how Moonwood Mill and Granite Falls could be connected, and I would be really interested to hear how you actually use Granite Falls in your game! For example, what lots do you put there and how do you play with it?

I recently downloaded a mod that makes Granite Falls liveable and I am hoping to incorporate it into my occult gameplay.

Thanks for all the posts you've made so far about your occult lore. I love reading about it!

Hi friend, I'm so sorry I took forever to get around to answering this! I haven't updated my mods or anything in a minute so I couldn't pop into my occult save to take specific screenshots (for fear of corrupting it), but I'll do my best to illustrate how I arrange it!

As you can see, I go with a pretty simple layout. I think werewolves, especially those in the Moonwood Collective, are no-frills when it comes to their living arrangements - it's really more about functionality and community than anything, and this world lends to that vibe so effectively.

Little bit about my lots:

The National Park: Because Moonwood Mill doesn't have a National Park and I think a core tenant of the Collective is environmentalism, I maintained the lot type but renamed it "Moonwood Falls." It acts as the divider between Moonwood Collective Territory and Wildfang territory - once you pass completely through it you'll see a trail that'll lead you directly to the Moonwood Commune if you follow it. I talked about it in a previous post, but one of The Collective's main duties is watching over the national park lands that are still left in Moonwood Mill, not just for the sake of environmentalism but also to keep threats at bay that might be traveling through. Also there are resources for herbalism that are easier to access on this type of lot, so I keep it for practical reasons as well!

Residential Rentals x3: The members of the Collective live simply and in close quarters to each other. The number of cabins range from lot to lot, but they were all built by hand by members of the collective and mostly serve the practical purposes of shelter during unpredictable weather and spaces to rest. Members of the Collective are not hanging around their houses all day, they're not watching TV or playing video games, they're all usually outdoors and almost always congregating together (big emphasis on community). The wolf family I play with primarily in this particular save lives in one of the cabins by the Volkov residence. Note: I haven't converted these to residential rentals yet in-game, but now that we have that feature I intend to! Before they were just residential lots that I would have multiple sims live on!

Community Space: This space is primarily a community garden and is the epicenter for the day-to-day activities that the members in the Collective engage in. Aside from gardening there are washtubs and clotheslines, a space to have communal meals and meetings (I imagine members of the Collective share resources more than not), various outdoor activities for kids and teens to engage in**, and even some sales tables. It's a skill-building/learning space, but it's also a fun space to build community and friendships. I kind of think of this space as the Collective's equivalent to the bar the Wildfangs congregate at. If you were to stumble upon the Collective's commune or visit as a guest, this is the first place you would be directed to. Lastly, I have a small "Medical" cabin set up on this space as well that obviously serves no in-game function other than housing restrooms. That being said, it appeases my personal lore that normal doctors would have 0 clue about how to treat a werewolf and their specific ailments (not to mention a werewolf from a pack like the Collective who has their own beliefs and methods on healing/treatments for their kind anyway) so a space such as this would be a necessity for any wolf pack.

The Volkov Residence: with Kristopher being the alpha, it only makes sense that the Volkov family home would be located in Granite Falls at the center of the commune, easily accessible from any part of the property. Although it's a large lot, again that's for a practical reason: I imagine a lot of the livestock and valuable resources are guarded by the alpha, so much of the lot's space is actually dedicated to those things. Kristopher, like the rest of the pack, lives quite simply and values practicality and inner peace above all. There are two interesting elements that set the alpha's house apart, however. First is a lookout tower, and second is the caging cellar*** beneath his home. Yes, a caging cellar is what it sounds like: it's a basement deep underground with barred enclosures that serve as dedicated spaces for "new turns," especially those that are particularly out of control of their bodies, or for particularly vicious/violent wolves that stumble across the commune's property - they are usually wolves without a pack, but occasionally Rory will have to come bail a Wildfang out lol. Needless to say this is one of many points of contention between Rory and Kristopher, but the wolves who find themselves in containment are not being punished: it's supposed to be a safety measure, and it's only utilized when necessary (but yes when you think about it, it's absolutely an ethical nightmare lmao).

** I have very convoluted lore about young wolves and schooling! The very brief overview is young children (newborn - kindergarten basically) do not go to traditional school environments and learn their basics from the adults around them at the community space (very hands-on learning style, like a non-traditional nature-based schooling). As they age, they do eventually go into town to receive their "formal" education alongside human peers, but there are still certain mandated lessons that are wolf-specific that they have to learn on the commune. Basically the "traditional" school acts as a part-time co-op where wolf children (1st grade to 12th grade, essentially) go to learn the things they cannot learn from the Collective (arithmetic/reading/writing/history/etc. you get it). It's funny because I'm sure most of their public school, non-wolf peers think they're a part of like a creepy religious cult or something lmao but they just can't have some teenage werewolf boy in the same gym class as a normie human unless they want an accident to happen, ya know?

*** Part of the contention with the caging cellars is actually rooted in the town's history with them - especially as it relates to anti-wolf hysteria and an uptick in hunters. As such, it's not unusual for them to be found in basements of some of the older houses in Moonwood Mill. Most of the younger locals have no idea what purpose they serve/served other than being lowkey creepy, but the older residents know what's up. In modern day, most people had theirs removed, not seeing a need for industrial cages in their basements lmao. HOWEVER, in my occult save, I have a headcanon that Celene López lives with her grandparents who are VERY educated in werewolf lore and although they're not against the wolves they do not trust them fully, so they still have a caging cellar in their basement... just in case! I have a whole storyline that I won't get into haha: I'll just say Lou became very familiar with that space when he transformed into a wolf. If you're curious about the details, feel free to ask!

Anyway, whew that was a lot but I think that just about covers it! As always, thank you for asking about this - I'm always happy to talk about this stuff, I just hate that it took me forever to get back to you! Hopefully it was worth the wait, and could help you or inspire you in some way as you build up your own wolf lore! I'm always curious to hear your thoughts about how you'd lay out Granite Falls as well, so feel free to share if you're so inclined. <3

+ For those who just read all this and have no idea what I'm on about, this ask piggybacks off of a previous ask on my werewolf lore which can be found here!

[freezerbnuuy]

"What are three embarrassing childhood moments of the character?" and "What are three embarrassing adulthood moments of the character (if they’re old enough for it)?"

Answer about whoever you like. Feel free to split your three over multiple characters if you like!

Good question!

Embarassing childhood moments:

Áine: Burned off her mother's eyebrows with an Ignis (Inferniate) spell in her mid-teens.

Kat: I like to think there was an incident where she accidentally managed to cast Strangeify on one of her parents, leading to a rather awkward and hilarious few hours...for Kat, anyway. I'm sure her parents were slightly less pleased. I originally wrote a sentence here, forgot to finish the sentence and forgot what I was actually going to write at all X_X

I can't think of any others.

Embarassing adulthood moments:

Owen - Admitting his love to Lydia whilst she tried to cure him of an illness picked up in a pandemic in San Myshuno...whilst red-eyed, croaky and with a stuffy nose and complaining about being ill. Not ideal for someone of his occuption or social stature. She winds him up about this all the time.

Reynold - not sure if the incident at Beltane counts since he very much enjoyed it, but everyone does wind him up about it. That gets a little embarassing for him. : P

Ellie - Kat, her partner, reveals that she got a portrait done of 'the girl she loves the most' or something along those lines. She's so thankful that Kat got...a portrait of her beloved pet owl Nia. Awkward...

[freezerbnuuy]

"30. do they smell like anything notable?"

For Owen, Violeta, and Oskar.

30. do they smell like anything notable?

Good question!

Due to sensory issues resulting from a combo of neurodivergence and enhanced vampire senses, Oskar doesn't wear perfumes. He tends to smell like woodwork and sawdust wherever he goes.

Violeta, due to heightened vampiric senses, doesn't wear anything too super-overpowering. Maybe like roses or something?

Owen probably wears something strong like something musky everywhere he goes. Then again he also has the luxury of always having clean clothes as well as a fancy bathroom, so I'm sure he has a nice scent following him wherever he goes. And also very overpowering. Because that's just how the Annorins are : P

Whilst you didn't ask about him, I also want to add that the Reyes family also wear strong perfumes to cover up the scent of fish from their work.