#benevolence-cc

[mysticalibra1994]

I did what I had to do... (A Cooking Companions game.)

As I did some quick research on the MC (aka Baba Yaga), I believe we were too quick to judge her.

According to some folklore, she's depicted as evil. In others, she harbors high morality.

In Cooking Companions, I'd say she's both. Here's my interpretation of her POV when Mariah disappeared from the flood...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I… I- I found her… I found Mariah. She was unconscious as she washed up on shore. I quickly and carefully checked her vitals. Heartbeat? None. Pulse? None. Breathing? No. I've read so many health books and have studied doctors and other medical professionals doing this lifesaving technique. However, I'm not quite sure that it'll work for her. Her skin was deathly pale and her eyes were a dull shade of cerulean. I did what I had to do… Mariah didn't deserve this. Yes, they answered incorrectly, but I felt a connection with her. So, I rolled her onto her side and I firmly pressed onto her stomach as the water began flowing out from her mouth. It seems that they've stopped, but she's not waking up. I turned her to her back, tilted her head back, and lifted her chin to check her airway. It was clogged, alright. I used my long fingers to carefully dig out whatever was clogging her throat. As I went back to press onto her stomach, the flow of water slowly decreased. She still didn't wake up. She needed air. I flipped her on her back, tilted her head back, lifted her chin back, inhaled, and exhaled as I placed my mouth over hers; filling her lungs with my air. I did this about two or three times. No changes. I used one of my cloth knives to cut her dress off so that her chest stood bare. Her small, yet supple breasts were firm, wet, and cold. As pale as her face… I placed my hands on the center of her chest and rhythmically pumped about 30 times. Each pump caused some extra water to flow from her mouth. This, along with my rescue breaths, continued on until I grew weary. I wasn't sure how long it's been, but when I noticed that the sun was barely inching from the horizon and she was still unconscious, I knew that it was too late… I closed her eyes as I thought about Anatoly… He truly cares about her, this could kill him. But, starving could kill ALL of them… A dark thought swept over my mind when I remembered that I built a slaughterhouse-like room in my basement… I did what I had to do…

[ratchet-ratch]

Spooky Looks

Look 1: overlay | eyes | eyelashes | hair | dress | belt | fishnet top | fishnets | garter/chain | boots | body blood | tattoos | pentagram hand accessory (benevolence - witchcraft hand accessory) | rings | choker | earrings | piercings (face) | nose piercing | lipstick | lip blood | eyeshadow | eyeliner

Look 2: overlay | skintone | skin tint | eyes | eyelashes | hair | dress | tights | lace top | shoes (akrsims - mary jane pumps) | nails | earrings | piercings |  lipstick | eyeshadow | eyeliner

Look 3: overlay | skintone | eyes | eyelashes | hair (simandy - seong-jin hair) | dress | fishnet top | torn top | tights | boots | choker | earrings | piercings | lipstick | blush | eyeliner

CC Creators: @waekey @simulationcowboy @leahlillith @blahberry-pancake @the-crypt-o-club

@deathpoke1qa @kijiko-sims @magicbot @sentate @simstefani

@caio-cc @dangerouslyfreejellyfish @simandy @ms-marysims @lamatisse

@growfruit @maxiematch @angelapleasant @nell-le @bellassims

@saruin @twisted-cat @ceeproductions @evellsims @myfawnwysimblr

@pralinesims @s-club-tbr @joshseoh @crilender @suzuesims

@arenetta @regina-raven @chewybutterfly @dissiasims @sewersims

@goppolsme

[salemssimblr]

Day 5 of @honeysylvan's AU April Challenge - Monster

An ancient goddess, gone mad with time. Once she was revered. Now she's been hidden away, chained for the safety of the denizens she once benevolently ruled. But did they really shackle a god? Or did the wolf allow her lambs the illusion of safety?

CC: hair / body / wrap / dress / belt / earrings / crown / cheeks / nails / snake (kemono)

[ancientcharm]

Optimus princeps

Marcus Ulpius Trajan was born on 18 September 53 in Hispania Baetica ( Andalusia, Spain) in the ancient city Italica. He stood out for his military and political brilliance, his uprightness and fight against corruption, his austere character, and his philanthropy.

He was the only Roman emperor to be granted the title Optimus (The Best) .Such a title was an extraordinary honor not so much because of the meaning of the word but because it was the exclusive title of the god Jupiter.

With Trajan began the so-called Golden Age of the Roman Empire, and the so-called era of provincial emperors. Roman authors note his "charming provincial accent." The historian Dio Cassius claims that Trajan was of Hispanic origin.

Trajan created Institutio Alimentaria, a program that helped orphaned and poor children throughout the Roman Empire. It provided food and subsidized education.

He conquered Dacia (Roman Dacia would evolve over time to give rise to present-day Romania) and defeated the Parthian Empire by conquering vast territories. During his reign the Roman Empire reached its maximum extension, setting its eastern border on the Tigris River and not on the Euphrates as it was before Trajan.

Trajan is mentioned in The Romanian National Anthem. In Romania the name TRAIAN is very common. He was the last conqueror of Rome; his successor Hadrian marked the definitive borders of the empire.

"Be more fortunate than Augustus and better than Trajan" It became the greeting to emperors

Trajan spent his childhood during the reign of Nero. At the age of 15 he experienced the first civil war of the imperial era and the year of the 4 emperors. He made a career in the army under the principate of Vespasian and his sons Titus and Domitian; Was close and loyal to the Flavian Dynasty.

Following the assassination of Domitian in September 96, Nerva was proclaimed emperor. In 97 a revolt by members of the Praetorian Guard forced the elderly and childless Nerva to adopt as his successor the popular Trajan, then governor of Germania Superior.

Nerva died on 28 January 98 and Trajan succeeded him. One of his first acts was the construction of a limes to secure the Decuman Fields, Germanic lands on the right side of the Rhine, which had been won under Domitian.

Trajan arrived in Rome two years after being proclaimed emperor, having secured the Rhenish frontier. He was received with great joy.

Trajan's Forum in Rome was built by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus, chosen by Trajan himself. It included a basilica, two libraries, and after Trajan's death, a temple was built in his honour. Trajan's Column is the only structure that has survived.

The column was inaugurated on May 12, 113 and consists of a long spiral frieze describing the Dacian Wars (101-106)

The Alcántara Bridge, Extremadura, Spain, widely regarded as a masterpiece of Roman engineering, was built during the reign of Trajan. Photo: Dantla from de.wikipedia - Own work, GFDL

His wife, empress Plotina. Photo: Carole Raddato.

Trajan was married to Plotina, who according to Pliny the Younger "Added to Trajan's virtues of modesty and nobility of spirit her own, for she was kind, intellectual and benevolent."

He married her at a very young age, and she was his only wife. It is believed that they had no children because they never had sexual intimacy. They always had a cordial relationship.

Trajan adored his niece Matidia, daughter of his only sister Marciana. In fact, everyone saw her as a daughter of the emperor rather than a niece. Empress Plotina also loved Matidia as a daughter. Matidia and his mother Marciana lived with Trajan and Plotina since Matidia was a little girl when her father died. All classical sources also claim that Plotina and Marciana loved each other like sisters.

His niece, Matidia. Photo: Louvre Museum , CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trajan's niece, MATIDIA, is key to understanding how the so-called "adoptive emperors", with the exception of Nerva, were related to each other by ties of blood and marriage, and not as the false modern version tells us of the emperors who did not think about family ties when choosing their successors until Marcus Aurelius "broke the good tradition" naming his son Commodus as successor ( It was really shocking to have heard such misinformation in a certain documentary series).

Trajan chose as his successor Hadrian, his second-degree nephew and only male relative, who was married to Vibia Sabina, one of Matidia's daughters. From Trajan's other great-niece, Rupilia, were directly descended the Emperor Marcus Aurelius and the Empresses Faustina the Elder, wife of Emperor Antoninus Pius (Hadrian's successor) and Faustina the Younger, wife and cousin of Marcus Aurelius, as well as the co-Empress Lucilla, married to Marcus Aurelius's co-Emperor Lucius Verus, and the Emperor Commodus.

Map in Latin. Roman empire in the year 117 when Trajan died.

Trajan died of illness between 8 / 9 August 117 in Selinus (Cilicia). His wife placed the gold urn containing his ashes on Trajan's Column. He was deified by the Senate.

Trajan's Column, Rome. Photo: Nikon Z7II, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Trajan's Column was an absolute novelty in ancient art and became the most avant-garde work of Roman historical relief.

[inspofromancientworld]

Legendary Creatures: Simurgh

By Alaexis - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2115489

A simurgh (سیمرغ, also spelled senmurv, simorgh, simorg, simurg, simoorg, simorq or simourv) is a Persian bird that is related to the phoenix that spans an area from Georgia, to Armenia, and the Byzantine Empire and other areas that were influenced by the Persian Empire.

By Unknown author - This file has been provided by the British Library from its digital collections.Catalogue entry: IOSM J.67, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31453107

The word simurgh is related to the words meaning 'the bird of Saēna', a raptor, probably an eagle, falcon, or sparrowhawk as the Sanskrit śyenaḥ (श्येनः) meaning 'bird of prey'. Though it is also closely related to the phrase sī murğ (سی مرغ) that means 'thirty birds', which was used by Sufi poet Abū Ḥāmid bin Abū Bakr Ibrāhīm (c. 1145 – c. 1221; Persian: ابوحمید بن ابوبکر ابراهیم), better known by his pen-names Farīd ud-Dīn (فریدالدین) and ʿAṭṭār of Nishapur (عطار نیشاپوری) in his The Conference of the Birds as a word play.

By Nickmard Khoey - https://www.flickr.com/photos/nickmard/2887513290/in/set-72157607483985460/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5619184

The simurgh is frequently depicted as a winged creature, large enough to carry an elephant or a whale, with the body of a peacock, head of a dog, and claws of lions. Sometimes, it has a human face. It is old enough that it 'had seen the destruction of the world three times over'. It also plunges itself into flames every 1,700 years, similar to phoenixes.

By Painting: Unknown 7th century artist.Photographer: undetermined - This file has been extracted from another file, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=95912662

They are benevolent, purifying land, bestowing fertility, mediating the union between the Earth and the sky by serving as a messenger. It lived in the Tree of Life in the middle of the world sea. When it flew away from the Tree of Life, the Tree shook so hard that it lost leaves, which became the seeds of every plant. It also expresses the divine mandate of kingship and priesthood.

By From the Sarai Albums. - http://www.ee.bilkent.edu.tr/~history/Pictures1/im16.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5760173

Abul-Qâsem Ferdowsi Tusi (940-ابوالقاسم فردوسی توسی 1019/1025), also Firdawsi or Ferdowsi (فردوسی) wrote the most famous story about the simurgh in his Shahnameh (Book of Kings). In it, a prince named Zal, son of Saam, was born albino, causing his father to cast him out, believing him to be demonic. A simurgh rescues him and raises him, teaching him wisdom as they have all knowledge. When Sal was old enough, he wanted to rejoing humanity and the simurgh and the simurgh gave him three feathers to call her should he need her help. He married a woman named Rudaba who had a difficult labor with their first child. The simurgh responded to his call for help and taught him to perform a cesarean section.

[etozheden]

Faerie Queen Mara

And now, a little fairy for those who love the brighter side of the internet ✨

I decided to recreate an iconic character from The Sims 1 — Faerie Queen Mara. Hope you’ll enjoy her!

Faerie Queen Mara is the mysterious and regal ruler of the magical realm of the fae. Dwelling deep within the Shadow Glen, she governs her enchanted folk with grace—and a hint of cunning. Her power is deeply rooted in nature, ancient rituals, and mystic charm. While she may appear benevolent, behind her winged beauty lies a force to be reckoned with. Tales speak of Mara making pacts with heroes, sometimes offering aid, and at other times forcing them to confront impossible choices.

Mara represents the delicate balance between light and darkness in the magical world. Her presence always leaves behind a trace of wonder… and unease.

You can download her for free. All CC is included in the archive.

[moyokeansimblr]

Patreon Requests for riannon07

Moyo did some alpha stuff? 😮 My maxis match models don't do this stuff justice... These are Patreon requests for @riannon07 and I just want to say thank you for the challenge, I don't know if I succeeded or not 😅 but hopefully everything's useable!

These are Sifix's Fiorenza Dress and Elfdor's Recolors, Belaloallure's Blossom Outfit, Belaloallure's Akera Top and Pants as separates, and Nightcrawler's Rift Hair (Style A). As you asked clothes are all on the BobbyTH Bootylicious bodyshape. Shoes were converted by ImaginaryBoutique.

All of the clothes are AF only, the hair is TF-EF.

Now the first elephant in the room, being alpha cc this stuff is high poly.

Belaloallure Akera Pants + MMSIMS Dunk Low Sneakers - 17k Belaloallure Akera Top - 7k Belaloallure Blossom Outfit + Benevolence Clarity Heels - 25k ❗(the heels are 11k alone but they are really pretty I admit) Sifix Fiorenza Dress - 17k Nightcrawler Rift Hair - 20k

Download links, more details, and some of my rambling under the cut.

Everything comes in the colors you asked for. The Sifix dress I did include the original 10 colors because 10 isn't that many but only the Elfdor recs you wanted.

And while the Nightcrawler hair does come in the colors you wanted I also did a bunch extra. While I stopped using alpha hairstyles only just last year I stopped using alpha hair colors in 2019 so I got a bit carried away oohing and aahing at them. 24 of Pooklet/Digi/Io's naturals, elders use mail bomb, pipe bomb & shax and 6 of Pooklet/Digi's unnaturals. I think 🤔 Man 2019 was only what like 4 years ago and my brain's like wHaT iS AlpHA sTuFF?? hOW dO i aLPhA?? There's a swatch included. Everything has swatches.

And now for the second elephant in the room, this is the first time I've converted anything alpha! My mom watched me convert some of this and I told her I don't know why the sheer amount of vertices surprised me given that I know alpha stuff is higher poly and thus more vertices 😅 But some stuff is a bit wonky. I'm happy to fix any issues that arise (although I can't say for certain that I know how). In particular I'll acknowledge that the hair IS kind of rough. Hair is my least-experienced CAS category even with clay stuff. There's some weird blips and transparencies and I'm not totally happy with my retexturing job but for my first alpha hair (and only 4th hair in general) I'm pretty proud of myself regardless. Just, I understand if anybody hates the hair I won't be sad.

Also, I must thank the ever fantastic @paluding for helping me out with the UV issue I ran into on the shoes for the Blossom Outfit ❤️

Anyways,

🍸Sifix's Fiorenza Dress/Elfdor's Recolors, Belaloallure's Blossom Outfit, Belaloallure's Akera Top and Pants, and Nightcrawler's Rift Hair

[thebenevolentmachine]

Hello

I'll be posting and sharing Human Domestication Guide stuff here.

I need somewhere to deposit WIP stuff and other snippets.

This blog is 18+, minors DNI.

HDG is a non-con setting. Don't ignore the content warnings.

I will NEVER share trans- and queerphobic stuff, even if the post is a rebuttal. So many users get trolled into sharing hate too easily, IMHO. Following trans people shouldn't expose you to more transphobia.

This is tumblr so feel free to interact with really old posts. Or all posts in 15 minutes.

I block and unfollow with extreme prejudice if you post stuff I don't like. I won't explain myself; I won't even see you asking why. It's called curating your experience. I'm only here for HDG.

Header image is a modification of the source, and is also licensed as CC BY-SA 3.0.

A machine can never be benevolent, it merely does what it was built to do. The people that made the machine, they may be benevolent but it's still going to be a matter of perspective. In this essay, I will...

[whencyclopedia]

The Daughter of the Sun

The Daughter of the Sun is a Cherokee origin myth explaining how Uktena, the great horned serpent, came to be, as well as why those who die cannot return to life. The story also explains the respect due to the rattlesnake in Cherokee culture and references the location of the Darkening Land, the afterlife, which lay toward the west.

The creation of the Uktena serpent in this story is referenced in the Ulunsuti tales, notably The Uktena and the Ulunsuti, but The Daughter of the Sun is not considered one of these tales as it makes no mention of the jewel (the Ulunsuti) on the forehead of Uktena. At the same time, as it touches on the origin of Uktena, it could be considered an Ulunsuti tale. The story shares similarities with myths of other cultures including the Mesopotamian works Eridu Genesis and Atrahasis, the Egyptian Book of the Heavenly Cow, and the biblical tale of Noah's Ark, all of which feature a deity who becomes displeased with humans and decides to destroy them.

Cherokee Burial Mound

Brian Stansberry (CC BY)

The Daughter of the Sun is also similar in theme to the Cherokee myth of Tsul'kălû', The Slant-Eyed Giant in its emphasis on the importance of following instructions (although this theme is fairly common in many stories from Native American Literature). In this story, however, there is some question as to whether the instructions were intended to be followed.

The Daughter of the Sun is among the most popular Cherokee myths and legends and is still recited by storytellers in Cherokee communities today, not only for its entertainment value but also because it preserves traditional Cherokee values and concepts including balance, harmony, the spiritual life of the natural world, and the Little People who appear in the legends and lore of many Native peoples of North America.

Spirituality, Balance, & the Little People

The Cherokee, as with Native American nations generally, hold balance as a central cultural value. Life should be lived in harmony with oneself, one's community, the natural world, and the unseen world of spirits and the divine. In Cherokee belief, the Creator, Unetlanvhi, made the earthly realm as a middle plane between the upper world of bright spirits, who encourage health, balance, and happiness, and the lower world of the dark spirits, who bring sickness, disorder, despair, and death. Humans are supposed to maintain the balance between these worlds, recognizing the dark forces for what they are and honoring the benevolent energies for their gifts and guidance.

According to Cherokee lore, the Little People (Yûñwĭ Tsunsdi′) are a race of mystical beings, neither dark nor light spirits, who help maintain the celestial balance. At one point, they might play tricks on people or punish them for some perceived or actual transgression, and at another, they provide help, guidance, and inspiration. The Little People of the Cherokee are also known to be especially fond of children, caring for those who become separated from their parents, whether through the parents' death or becoming lost or abducted, and taking others from abusive homes. The Little People could be appealed to for help, as in this story, where the Cherokee ask them for assistance in stopping the sun from killing them.

The Little People (referred to as "Little Men" in the story) lend them help by way of transforming some of the men into venomous snakes – the adder, copperhead, rattlesnake, and the great horned serpent, Uktena. The idea is to have the serpents kill the sun and stop its rampage but, in execution, things do not go as planned. The people themselves are forced to deal with their problems with the sun, and do so successfully, suggesting that, perhaps, they did not need the aid of the Little People to begin with.

The Little People are not the same as the Nûñnĕ′hĭ and other spirit folk, who are supernatural entities that can sometimes appear as people and, at other times, in different forms. The Little People always appear in more or less the same way as humans, just as the leprechaun of Ireland or the pixie of Britain are said to do, but the Little People and the Nûñnĕ′hĭ have one central characteristic in common: they are or can be tricksters. Scholar Larry J. Zimmerman writes:

Unlike heroes, tricksters deceive others in pursuit of self-gratification: they tend to be mischievous, selfish, and rascally, and usually have exaggerated human characteristics…A trickster commonly appears as a semi-divine but largely amoral presence at the creation, and he may permanently transform such things as an animal's appearance or the course of a river.

(186)

The Little People of the Cherokee are not tricksters in the same sense as Wihio of the Wihio tales of the Cheyenne or Iktomi of the Iktomi tales of the Sioux – where 'trickster' is essentially their fixed persona – but can, at times, take on that role when it suits them. At the same time, it would seem that what 'suits them' also serves a greater purpose.

As the Little People are famous for playing tricks, the 'help' they offer in The Daughter of the Sun may not actually have been intended to help at all. It is possible that, in creating the venomous serpents, the Little People were encouraging the Cherokee to find a way to help themselves and, in doing so, perform the task assigned to them by the Creator: to keep balance. Unlike similar apocalyptic tales from Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Bible, the threat to humanity is not finally addressed by the deity but by the people themselves.

The primary focus of the story is on the Sun's rage over people's reaction to her and their response to her attempt at wiping them out. As the story begins, life is out of balance and the help offered by the Little People – the assassination of the Sun and the return of the Daughter of the Sun from the land of the dead – actually threatens balance further, even though the people accept their help in the belief it will restore order. One interpretation of the tale could be that the Little People already know what will happen once their suggestions are implemented, and the failure of their plans is actually what succeeds in restoring and maintaining balance.

Continue reading...

[nefarrilou]

Death Type: Crows

💼 Supervising Entity: Netherworld Department of Death

🦅 Subdepartment: Critters and Creepers Control » Wrangling all things venomous, vicious, and viney «

💀 Reaper: Corvina

⤷ Role: Earthly Harbringer ⤷ Alignment: Benevolent ⤷ Territory: Ravenwood

⏳ Decedent: Lady Ravendancer Goth

☠️ Death Trigger: 「 🎬 」 Provoke a pet crow multiple times ➥ Pack required: Life & Death 👻 Ghost Quirks:  ✦ Gain an uncomfortable buff when provoking the crow again ✦ Crows will only bring common gifts from now on

More Death Types [ x ]

💀 Corvina » Don't cross Corvina — or her crows. Keep your distance, stay respectful, and you’ll walk away just fine. « — Mr. Mortis ✦ Genetics ⊱ Hair • Eyes • Skin • Gradient • 💀 1 + 2 • Claws ✦ Clothes ⊱ Dress (+ Necklace) ✦ Accessories ⊱ Headpiece • Jewlery

⏳ Lady Ravendancer Goth ⊱ Hair + Acc • Dress* • Necklace • Sandals

* Life & Death

C R E A T O R S

Corvina @sentate @yin-shimo @regina-raven @cerberus-cc @remussirion

Lady Ravendancer Goth @feralpoodles @flowermilksims @jius-sims

[ratchet-ratch]

1980’s Alternative Girlies | CC Haul

So I like to pride myself as being someone who cares about period accurate fashion and I was not satisfied with how the first version of these girlies came out. I did some research and they did not look like they belonged in the 80's. So I gave them makeovers. Can't wait for them to join my decades story.

Girlie 1: hair | eyeshadow (jul haus - 25) | blush | lipstick | top | skirt | fishnet top |  boots | fishnets | garter | earrings

Girlie 2: hair | eyeshadow | lipstick | top | skirt | fishnet top | tights | boots | choker (blahberry pancake - audacious)

Girlie 3: hair | eyeliner | lipstick (EA) | top | skirt | boots | fishnet sleeves | tights | choker | earrings (benevolence - pentagram)

CC Creators: @kismet-sims @pralinesims @willeekmer @dissiasims

@sentate @crypticsim @suzuesims @julhaos

@trillyke @aharris00britney @goppolsme

@madlensims @astya96cc @kimoana

@gorillax3-cc @greenllamas @blahberry-pancake

@aladdin-the-simmer @clumsyalienn

[salemssimblr]

The Ves'enthe Family

Led by the benevolent Blood Queen, Indira, the Ves'enthe family rules the vampiric kingdom of Siaraia.

By the queen's side is king consort, Demitrius, and their crown princess, Taevorian.

The line of succession follows with princes Eridian, Dorian, and young Tristian.

Thank you to all CC & pose creators! Before/after:

[stemms]

c!Dream apologists’ perception of the DSMP lore is something I’ll never truly understand, no matter how hard I try, considering they’re completely disconnected from the canon and the characters they deem to love are nothing but the inside-out shells of their original selves in their representation. 

I’ll never get over the fact that c!Dream apologists define the canonicity of any plot-relevant event based on c!Tommy’s involvement and/or the angle from which c!Dream is shown. If the moment in question portrays c!Dream as morally grey or decent to some extent (or could be interpreted as such), it’s canon. However, if it shows him as the abusive, manipulative, and control-obsessed freak he is, then “cc!Dream was simply joking around with cc!Tommy, and it was OOC”. It gets even more hilarious if c!Dream apologists have such polarising reactions to practically identical events.

Another point that never made sense to me is c!Dream apologists’ unjustified hatred towards c!Tommy and the constant need to accuse him of the whole bag of tricks. They just love to villainise him, disregard his constant suffering and trauma, and treat him as if he was the cause of all the rightful criticism and anger towards c!Dream. However, they never think, even for a second, that maybe, just maybe, c!Tommy isn’t the one to blame here, but c!Dream’s harmful actions are. They also seem to find him annoying, which doesn’t make sense either because the thing they dislike is simply being a kid. And considering c!Tommy had to grow up very fast and didn’t fully get to be one for as long as he deserved, it makes sense why he’d need to compensate for it and be just a bit louder and more chaotic, and there’s nothing wrong with that. 

“c!Tommy was obsessed with c!Dream.”

After the prison break, it wasn’t surprising that c!Tommy became more paranoid, couldn’t get c!Dream out of his head, and had to stay constantly on guard because his abuser, who literally possessed the power of revival and planned to make them both immortal, was Free, and it was only a matter of time until he caught him and made his plan come true… Still, c!Dream apologists tend to completely misinterpret and confuse the boy's wariness with an obsession. Considering c!Dream’s obsession stems from the very beginning of the server (s1 in particular, for example, the stalking, the tunnel under c!Tommy’s base, c!Tommy’s friends’ comments about c!Dream’s obsessive behaviour, and so much more), this claim is completely unjustified, and it’s clear to me that they’re just trying to use the boy as a scapegoat to make their fave look like a better person. Being terrified of your abuser, stalker, murderer, and tormentor is a completely valid response, and there’s not a hint of obsession in it. Not to mention that the first thing c!Dream did after breaking out of prison (after getting armour and weapons, but that was quick and necessary if he wanted to remain free) was meet c!Tommy to torment him again.

“cc!Dream benevolently went along with cc!Tommy’s idea of rp’ing abuse.”

The fact that cc!Dream and cc!Tommy were clearly enjoying the process of streaming exile is completely irrelevant to the lore, because it doesn’t impact c!Tommy in any way, and ‘cc!’ and ‘c!’ exist separately For A Reason. It seems that c!Dream apologists simply can’t stand cc!Tommy/c!Tommy, so they use anything they can find to make the exile arc less significant and impactful to c!Dream’s character. But the thing is, c!Tommy (and specifically, the idea of having complete control over him) is his biggest motivation, so no matter how much they may dislike and reject that idea, it’s canon.

[ghostradiodylan]

'What have you been up to lately, Bunny?' you ask, 'have you been writing a lot?'

No, sweet blog reader I have not. What I have been doing is making pixelated gay people who fell in love in one video game fall in love in another video game. Namely, The Sims 4. For SO MANY HOURS. Let me tell you all about it.

So obviously I have the boys, Ryan and Dylan, plus their best friend and roommate Kaitlyn, and their cat, Schrödinger.

Kaitlyn and Schrödinger have a very... special relationship.

Kaitlyn's a C-lister learning the entertainment industry, but her secret dream is to be a street performer. Dylan works in tech and Ryan is a painter. They all cook together and the cat helps by phasing into the cabinet somehow. Kaitlyn has somehow broken more stereos than any person ever to live, but luckily Dylan is really good with that sort of thing (and sinks, and showers, and toilets, and refrigerators...).

I keep wanting to call Dylan and Ryan boyfriends but they're actually fiancés, ever since Ryan accidentally made a flirty comment to a bartender at Hazakura Lounge in Wakaba and Dylan got a 12 hour sad mood about it (intensely in character, honestly). Ryan then sort of panic-proposed when he was trying to cheer Dylan up (also in character IMO). Maybe not the most romantic story, but, hey, they've been madly in love since that whole werewolf debacle, it's not like it wouldn't have happened eventually.

Sometimes they kiss in this game like they did in that other game (without actually touching). Oh well, at least it looks cute in the mirror.

They don't really seem like big wedding guys to me (and weddings are perpetually broken in The Sims 4 anyway) so they'll probably just elope at some point, but I thought I'd send them on a little getaway to the gayest place in The Sims universe, Sylvan Glade! Used the 'build anywhere' cheat to place some amenities so they could camp there, undisturbed, for a few days (people keep trying to talk to them on dates other places and Ryan, with his Lone Wolf trait, really does not like strangers).

Started out with a nice campfire, feeling a little familiar...

Then things got a bit...

... heated.

Um. Anyway...

Definitely no funny business happening here.

While they were gone, Kaitlyn worked on her miming hobby. Just kidding, she's playing with a lump of clay that our weird neighbor Constance left at our house. The clay was just temporarily invisible for some reason. This game is very stable. She made a clay bunny for the house in honor of me, their benevolent deity! :3

Dylan and Ryan kept living their best gay lives by the rainbow waterfall, with their hot pink canopy bed (doesn't everyone take one of those when they go camping?). They had a couple of cookouts, did some fishing, did some... other stuff... and took these photos.

Seems like it was a success to me. :3 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

There's a bunch of CC on these guys but the MVP by far is Dylan's perfect piece-y swoop hair, which is Quentin by JohnnySims. I keep forgetting to download a proper wolf tattoo for Dylan but I will get around to that eventually.

[inspofromancientworld]

Legendary creatures: Kitsune, Kumiho, hồ ly tinh, and huli jing

Fox spirits such as kitsune (狐, きつね) of Japan, kumiho (Hangul 구미호 or Hanja 九尾狐) of Korea, hồ ly tinh (狐狸精) of Vietnam, or huli jing (狐狸精) of China are shape-shifting fox spirits, usually having nine tails. They are typically tricksters that can be either benevolent or malevolent.

By Unknown painter from late 4th to mid 5th century A.D., unknown photographer - http://www.sohu.com/a/193975015_556515, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73024755

The oldest version of the nine-tailed fox spirits was from China. The first story that has the juli jing was the Shanhaijin (山海经 Classic of Mountains and Seas) which was compiled sometime in the fourth century BCE, but the currently known form wasn't completed until the early Han dynasty (202 BCE - 9 CE). It contained stories fables of the pre-Qin dynasty (prior to about 700 BCE). It says '靑丘國在其北其人食五穀衣絲帛其狐四足九尾。 The Land of Blue Hills lies to the north where the inhabitants consume the Five Grains, wear silk and worship foxes that have four legs and nine tails.' The nine-tailed fox was seen as a good omen, only appearing in times of peace. However, it also says 'Three hundred li [150km/93.2 miles]farther east is Qingqiu Mountain, where much jade can be found on its south slope and green cinnabar on its north. There is a beast here whose form resembles a fox with nine tails. It makes a sound like a baby and is a man-eater. Whoever eats it will be protected against insect-poison (gu).' During the Han dynasty, the mythology added the ability to shape-shift into humans as they became older, one description of which was by Guo Pu (郭璞, 276-326 CE) 'When a fox is fifty years old, it can transform itself into a woman; when a hundred years old, it becomes a beautiful female, or a spirit medium, or an adult male who has sexual intercourse with women. Such beings are able to know things at more than a thousand miles' distance; they can poison men by sorcery, or possess and bewilder them, so that they lose their memory and knowledge; and when a fox is thousand years old, it ascends to heaven and becomes a celestial fox.'

By Chris Gladis (MShades) from Kyoto, Japan - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=748434

Fox worship arrived in Japan sometime during the Jomon period (14,000-300 BCE) as evidenced by necklaces including canine teeth and jawbones of foxes. Stories from China were brought to Japan by merchants who traded and brought in as kyuubi no kitsune (九尾の狐, nine-tailed fox). In the Nihon Shoki (日本書紀, the Chronicles of Japan), which is the second-oldest book of Japanese history, mentions foxes twice, both times as omens. It records that in 657 a byakko (white fox) in Iwami Province was a good omen. In 659, a fox bit a vine a construction worker and it was seen as an ill omen. There were tales of kitsune turning into kitsune nyoubo (狐女房 fox wife) that are revealed as foxes after pet dogs that were recorded in the Nihon Ryouki (日本霊異記) book of fables during the Heian period (recorded between 787-824).

By Hùng Phong Lê - Hùng Phong Lê, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=134883158

The Hồ ly tinh have specific ages that they have to reach to gain their tails. They must practice for a hundred years to have three tails and be considered a 'demon fox', for a thousand years to become a 'ghost fox' with six tails. When it gains nine tails, it's considered a 'celestial fox' and can turn its tails into humans. If the fox loses its tail, it dies. In the Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư (chữ Hán: 大越史記全書, Complete annals of Đại Việt), compiled in 1697, states that Emperor Lê Thái Tổ was saved by a hồ ly tinh when he was hiding in Lam Sơn from the Ming army. He took the time during his hiding to bury a girl in a white dress and that a white fox distracted the army when he was almost caught.

source: https://www.deviantart.com/auroreblackcat/art/Gumiho-283762936

The kumiho are able to become beautiful women who seduce men to eat their liver or heart. The Chinese story entered into Korea during the Three Kingdoms period (삼국시대, from about 494-562) and state that foxes become kumiho with great age and become stronger with that age, too. The kumiho were largely viewed neutrally, though self-centered in their need for human organs and souls. It wasn't until later that they were viewed as evil, bloodthirsty fox-human hybrids that might turn into humans if they can avoid eating human flesh for a thousand years. Something unique to the kumiho is that they develop and pass along 'yeowoo geseul' (여우구슬, 'fox marbles' that they give to and then take back from humans by an action that looks like kissing. It can only remain in the human part of the chain for a year before it can kill them completely. When it's returned to the fox part of the chain, the human has no memory of the yeowoo guseul or the kumino.

[ellstersmash]

Veilguard loves & hates:

Love It:

the banter!!

overall the armor is very cool looking

don't really have to take a balanced party (but detonations help A Lot)

enjoyable mix of linear quests and exploration

at least some puzzles

more qunari lore that isn't "qun bad chantry normal"

GORGEOUS locations fr. like under the sea? you kiddin???

a lot of the quest location and actual quest designs were intriguing and engaging

the soundtrack on the quests was better than the main theme, in most cases

only experienced one bug (on PS5) so far and it was fixed with a reload

THE HAIR!! love that I can change it often—and I DO because there are so many cool options!

honestly the whole CC is very excellent

im in love with all my friends 🥴 and my friends love each other!! much more successful found-family vibes than Inquisition; more akin to DA2

so much talk about food and using food to come together and show love!!! big fan of that

I CAN PET AND HUG ASSAN (and will. all day.)

I do wish I could hug or interact with my romanced companion....but the overall romance and amount of references to it were acceptable. more than enough to get me daydreaming about my Rook and Taash 🥰

Rook's idle animations near the edge of something make me smile

the final battle (like the whole set of quests) felt appropriately dramatic and significant

my completionism paid off :}

the emotional stakes!! I cried like a baby more than once.

DREAD WOOF \o/

the ending (the one I got this round anyway) felt relatively satisfying, even though **

Hate It:

no lighting swap for the Inquisitor CC

no warning before the first major decision point/point of no return. never had my coffee date :(

no armor/outfit dye mechanic, and my god some of the color combos are.. certainly choices

no crafting system

very few legitimately casual outfit options

the main theme sounds like Harry Potter to me

so few meaningful callbacks to past games and choices... it felt impersonal and disconnected from previous game experiences

the way certain areas are walled off (either exploration areas during quests or vice versa) by some nebulous white haze is lazy

I love a DIY home base in my viddy games, but the decor mode is basically pointless. like that's time that could've been better spent elsewhere (like maybe improving the above point??)

loading a save drops you at a respawn beacon, so I'm always forgetting what undiscovered location I was gonna explore next

combat can be fun but is often an exhausting mash of swipe-and-dodge, since unless you use a companion's Taunt skill, every enemy will prioritize Rook for no reason, minus a few swings at the companions here and there (in Adventure mode)

no dedicated Open Map or Open Journal buttons

can't talk to solas whenever I want :(

the evanuris altars are boring. at least the fen'harel ones have some challenge to them, even if it's not a very difficult one

Davrin's talk about the Dalish is.. idk. mixed bag (update: I like his arc though, and Bellara provides another great perspective!)

the Crows are a good and benevolent organization now?? I thought Caterina abused Lucanis? I need to reread his story but it really felt like the writers didn't.

humorous dialogue options are rarely actually funny

dialogue trees don't flow very well, especially if you take one of "more information" options. they need better transitions

too much mythal 😤

**the ending left me with quite a few unanswered questions AND made my Lavellan look a whole-ass fool (I will be headcanoning otherwise, because I am a whole-ass fool)