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Newcrest Fresh Start - Weeks 27 and 28

This week we are back with Kristoff Burkhart, esteemed author, good guy vampire, would be founder of the Newcrest library and, currently, single parent of alien twins.

Whilst we have been spending time with other households Kristoff's daughters, Michaela and Natalia, have aged up into toddlers. Whilst this does make caring for them a bit easier, he still has to juggle parenthood with writing new books and freelance ghost writer gigs. Luckily Kristoff's partner Paka'a offers to move in and raise the twins as his own.

Paka's has some starting fund of his own, so they decide that a chunk of it should be spend on refurnishing the twins room and building a private underground pool so that he doesn't miss the ocean too much.

There is some cash left over to start decorating and furnishing the public library. It only takes another day of royalties and a well paying freelance gig to afford all the necessary items to officially open, which means that Newcrest residents can now purchase and read new books.

With this restriction lifted Kristoff takes a break from writing to research vampire lore and find out he can order plasma packs for delivery, a much kinder way of quenching his thirst.

For Harvestfest the new family invite Kerri and Ali Pool over for a grand meal to give Paka'a a chance to make some new friends.

The twins enjoy the holiday, especially the cheeky gnomes, and Kristoff is able to show his best friends around the new library set up and catch her up on his life.

Kristoff makes the mistake of indulging in the Grand Meal Paka'a prepared and immediately has to run to the toilet to be sick.

He's sure it's just because his stomach can no longer digest human food.

A day or two later however, Kristoff starts to realise that he's not just nauseous, tired and achey - he's pregnant again!

Kristoff and Paka'a are delighted with their surprise baby boy, who they name Uriel. The twins are not so sure about the whole thing as it seems like having a newborn in the house means less attention for them. Kristoff makes sure to spend some quality time with them when he can.

Paka'a takes on the role of main parent so that Kristoff can knuckle down and complete some more freelance gigs to supplement his steady stream of royalties.

Even though they have to budget for a regular supply of plasma packs Kristoff is ables to earn enough simpletons to completely furnish and decorate the library and the exterior of the lot and add an extra bedroom for their new addition. The only item missing is an expensive research computer and some decor, which they can't purchase until the art centre opens.

Now it's time to leave Kristoff and Family and check back in with Newcrest's vet, Avery.

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Newcrest fresh Start - Weeks 25 and 26

This week the Sims Municipal Committee welcomes aspiring baker and single father, Silas Morell, and his active daughter Leah to Newcrest. They will be establishing the town's cafe and bakery, which Silas hopes will become a community hub.

Silas is an active and family orientated sim so he's looking forward to spending some quality time camping out with Leah whilst he builds up his baking skills and earns enough to start building his bakery proper.

They start with a basic, though outdoor kitchen, a tent and a lot of enthusiasm. How will they get on?

Silas and Leah might have been looking forward to camping out in their new home, but the weather has not been on their side. Silas spends as much time repairing his appliances as baking on them, though he does take the opportunity on a few rainy days to take up some odd jobs to get enough cash for a sales table and baking ingredients.

Meanwhile Leah begins to act out after spending too much time cooped up playing in the tent. Knowing that she just needs somewhere for all that energy to go, Silas suggests she takes up skating at the nearby rink. Leah soon has a new hobby she loves!

Later in the week there is a series of spring storms. Not only can Silas not bake during a storm, but a couple of unfortunate lightning strikes completely fry his fridge and counter.

Building some indoor space to protect his kitchen is vital, but he can't do that until he replaces his decimated equipment. Silas is soon left selling the last of his pre-storm baking with the worrying knowledge that he has no way of creating any more stock. He puts on a brave face but sees a lot of box packing and furniture moving in his future and very little pastry and sponge.

Happily, this is where Silas and Leah benefit from becoming part of a community that has already began to establish themselves. They've met quite a few of their neighbours as they drop by for bagels and cake but weren't;t expecting them to be so generous and welcoming.

Both the Green Family and Kristoff remember what is was like starting off with nothing so invite Silas and Leah round to get some downtime. As a vampire, Kristoff rarely used his kitchen so offers it up to Silas she he can spend a stormy day baking up a storm.

By the end of the spring he's managed to not only replace his kitchen but bake a table full of delicious wares to sell on the next sunny day.

The proceeds from this allow him to upgrade to a proper food stall so he can sell individual baked goods. He also manages to build a room to keep his equipment indoors.

During Summer Silas and Leah can relax a little and spend a bit more time together indulging in hobbies. Leah also takes up scouting which encourages her to help out more with her family and community.

Now on stormy days Silas can make extra cash baking wedding cakes, which have a good profit margin. Other days his outdoor bakery has a steady stream of local customers, who kindly don't bat an eye when Leah takes up living like a bear full time.

Baked good might not bring in the big bucks, but by the end of summer Silas has been able to afford an indoor bathroom and a room with a couple of bunk beds to keep them warm through winter. Turns out this happens just in time, as Leah gets sick and needs lots of rest to recover.

The first couple of weeks for Silas and Leah have been harder than they expected but by supporting each other and leaning into community we leave them in a good place. Silas is optimistic that his cafe and bakery could really become the heart of the community.

Next week it's time to check back in with Kristoff and his twins, Mikaila and Natalia.

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Newcrest Fresh Start - weeks 23 and 24

With six households now making their home and livelihoods in Newcrest, the Sims Municipal Committee ran their lottery (or skinny wheel) to select the next family, welcoming the Blanchett's, who will establish a town's Chapel and Cemetery.

Ashley Blanchett, a generous but slightly cringe born romantic and his confident, macabre wife may seem like an off match, but they're the perfect couple to found a venue were sims can celebrate the loves, lives and deaths of their dear ones.

They, along with their romantic and macabre teenage daughter, Rosa, have a lot of work ahead of them, but once they can officially open their neighbours will be able to host weddings, funerals and other events.

Once they arrive Desirae wastes no time in starting her undertaker career, even though it will be a while before she work at her own cemetery. As no wedding or funeral is compete without flowers, Ashley takes up the gardening career and begins working on his forestry skill.

Luckily there is still time to meet their new neighbours. Luckily, a visit to the Green's Community Farm furnishes Ashely with some more variety of flower seeds to grow for his bouquets.

By the end of Fall he has began to establish his garden and is able to offer fresh cut arrangements for sale to his neighbours.

Despite her morbid interests, Moira is a family orientated sim, and spends her spare time supporting her husband and daughter with school and work.. She may not be as exuberant as Ashley when manning the sales table, but no-one seems to mind.

My the second day of winter they have enough income saved up to start building their house. It may not be much at first but does mean they can spend Winterfest celebrating indoors.

Starting their dream house takes some of the stress off - It's amazing how much more energy you have when you get to sleep in a bed and have a fresh indoor shower every day. With a weight lifted Desirae and Ashley have some more emotional, and physical, space to spend quality time together.

They even have spare cash for a card table to unwind at, and for Rosa to use to bond with the other neighbourhood teens.

By the end of winter the Blanchett's have constructed the frame of their new home. Next time to we see them they'll work towards furnishing it and constructing a chapel of rest and celebration centre, as well as landscaping the grounds.

Next week The Sims Municipal Committee will welcome Silas Morell and his daughter Leah, who will establish the towns Cafe and Bakery.

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Posted this on the wrong blog because I am very silly.

Newcrest Fresh Start part way review

Now that the first five households have moved into Newcrest and spent some time establishing themselves, the Sims Municipal Planning Committee are reflecting on the progress of the project.

Just twenty weeks into the programme the town is already feeling more vibrant. All the residents have managed to create a basic home for themselves and the town now has a functioning Farm, Vet Clinic and Magic Shop. This means all existing and new residents can buy fresh produce, cook a range of healthy meals and keep pets and livestock. Any occult residents will also be able to take full advantage of their specialist skills.

The town is now ready to welcome some more sims and expand the potential business offers. With most of the current residents having moved into Ridgeline Drive, we will now give priority to Bridgeview and Llama Lagoon.

Players notes and sim uploads under the cut

After playing through the start of the challenge I've already learnt a lot, and tweaked some of the rules as I've gone along to make it a bit more seamless.

This is such a huge challenge that even long lifespan seemed to short. I really wanted my sims to have some time to be a community together and to avoid, if possible, some of the earlier residents becoming elders before everyone moved in. However, I do like sims aging and having them organically be slightly different ages.

I ended up setting a ridiculously long age span through MCC which equates to approx. 14 sim days per human year, and was worked out through some pretty anal spreadsheeting.

I still do not have Businesses and Hobbies but from what I've seen it would work really well with it. In the meantime, it's just as fun to cheat a bit and either buy a business lot and stay there, or build a non-functional community space on a residential lot (if you don't need to earn from it).

Lastly, I have uploaded my original sims to the gallery for anyone that might like to use them in their own challenge, or just to have them in your game.

The links below should lead to the browser gallery, but you can also find them on my ID AngelaSlamsbury or through the NewcrestFreshStart hashtag.

Kristoff Burkhart

The Lamberts

The Greens

Kerri and Ali Pool

Note that due to a massive snafu on my part where I lost my in game library trying to repair my game after the latest patch, I have had to upload Kristoff straight from my game so he may be more skilled than you'd like. Luckily I had the others in a different save file.

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Newcrest Fresh Start - weeks 21 and 22

After settling in the first five households as part of the Newcrest Fresh Start scheme, the Sims Municipal Council has not invited a new, randomly selected set of sims. This vibrant collective of artists are going to use their creative skills to fund and build the town's new arts centre

Klaus Newton, an art loving, neat sim with aspiration to be a photographer, started the collective with his childish and non-committal childhood friend Frida Doyle, who has recently taken up painting. They have been joined by a younger sculptor Devon Roper, who is an active and outgoing maker and Frida's social awkward teenage daughter Lauren who wants to make it big as a fibre artist.

It's a bit project for them to undertake, especially starting eight just some tents and basic equipment. To ensure they have some cash coming in Klaus takes a job as a critic and Frida as a brush cleaner. Devon takes a couple of part time jobs as a handyman and manual labourer.

Outside of their day job the groups time is spent creating and honing their skills. Devon eventually wants to be a ceramicist, but will be woodworking until that equipment becomes available in Newcrest (when the player gets the Businesses and Hobbies pack).

Klaus believes that documenting the progress of the Newcrest community and its residents is a great project to dig into and also a handy way of meeting new friends. Meanwhile Lauren begins her knitting journey and starts making friends at school.

All is going well until a series of late spring storms drives the group inside. Luckily they have some money to build a small shelter, though this means they have no cash left to replace Klaus's tent when it gets hit by lightning. Luckily, Devon has room in his.

Despite a brief break in the weather that allows the group to start a yard sale of their paintings and sculptures, it does not last enough to raise enough for beds. This means that when Devon's tent also gets destroyed by lightning the next evening, the men can only afford a couple of cheap benches to nap on.

Luckily the storms blow over and the group can resume creating, with some breaks to read an exercise to avoid burning out. Frida is soon fortunate enough to inherit some sizeable chunks of cash from some long lost relatives. Not only can the group afford to build an extra room and buy two sets of bunk beds, but Klaus is able to update his camera and get a laptop to help with his day job.

In mid-summer Frida paints her first masterpiece and the collective are bringing in enough money to gradually start building their main arts centre space. Lauren, however, has been neglecting school and her grades are suffering to Frida helps her get back on track with a school project.

Towards the end of summer Devon begins to want someone special in his life, and wonders if that could be Zhafira Cahyaputri who he met during a yard sale.

As Autumn trolls round it's time to leave the collective, for now, and meet their new next-door neighbours - The Blanchett family, who will be setting up a much needed chapel and place of rest for the community.

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9 Generation Occult Legacy Challenge by Asphodel Moon! Graphics by me. I tweaked a few of the rules' text to make it fit, so check out the link for the full rules/details.

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Newcrest Fresh Start - Weeks 19 & 20

We're checking back in with the fifth household relocated to Newcrest by the Sims Municipal Planning Committee; Kerri and Ali Pool who will be setting up the town's fitness centre.

When we last saw the couple they were hustling pretty hard. Kerri was working a day job in social media and teaching yoga and meditation in her spare time, and Ali was working towards his career goal of being a professional bodybuilder and taking odd jobs on the side. Their hope is that Kerri's following as an online wellness influencer and Ali's athletic fame will mean they have plenty of clients when they open their business.

They keep their hustle continues through spring. Ali's day job as a personal trainer means that taking private fitness mentoring clients gives him a little career boost as well as extra cash.

Kerri increases her social media followers every time she live streams her yoga routines and has a steady client base for yoga and meditation, even working with a few celebrities! She tries to upload some video content everyday and soon has a healthy stream of royalties coming in.

Her current social media job position requires her to be mischievous with many different sims. This isn't in Kerri's comfort zone as she doesn't really want to look silly but she wants that promotion!

She compromises by impersonating mermaids, which would be funny, if she was a mermaid, right? Can you imagine?

This soon earns her a promotion to working in PR, which is much more dignified. Not only does the income boost mean they can finally afford to expand their building, install tiny (for now!) pool and get some extra gym equipment for Ali but Kerri also uses her skills to promote her bestie Kristoff's writing.

By Winterfest they've invested in a small kitchenette and some seating so they can have some friends round to celebrate. The couple must have some generous friends and admirers because Kerri is gifted a better computer set up and some gaming equipment that she returns for a sizeable chunk of cash.

With this and the cash rewards from their hard work they are able to start work on their apartment. They love having the luxury of finally having their own space, especially their new fireplace which is useful to warm up next too after a poolside work out.

They end the week by inviting some friends over for New Year's Eve. It's great having the space to have friends round, even if Ali's competitive spirit rubs off on their friends after a toast or two.

There is still quite a way to go before they finish their fitness centre. The whole upstairs gym area needs building and installing sauna's and other spa luxuries are not cheap. It looks like they still have a lot of hard work in front of them.

At least they now have a relaxing bedroom with the ultimate luxury for a water loving sim; a stand alone tub!

Five households have now settled into Newcrest and three businesses have officially registered to open. With a functioning vet clinic, magic shop and farm new residents will be able to cook a variety of fresh food, keep animals and, for occult sims, practice their powers and expand their skill trees.

This seems like a good time to start welcoming some new households and after spinning their randomiser the Sims Municipal Planning Committee welcomes a collective of artists who are going to set up the towns art centre.

We'll soon meet photographer Klaus Newton and his friends Devon Roper, who is a 3D artist and painter Frida Doyle. They will be joined by Frida's teen daughter Lauren who is also an aspiring fibre artist.

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Newcrest Fresh Start - Weeks 17 and 18

As Spring rolls in we're back to check on the Green Family; David, Emily, Maria and Tristram, as they establish Newcrest's community farm.

When we last checked in on the Greens they had made some amazing progress with growing produce and selling canned and fizzed goods on their market stand. They also managed to build a shell for their new farmhouse.

The only thing keeping the farm from registering as an official Newcrest business is some livestock; then residents will be able to buy fresh produce to cook with instead of growing and fishing their own food.

The family makes it their priority to get get some chickens as soon as they can afford it. As an animal enthusiast, David is very excited to add some animals to the farm and smother them with love.

With spring bringing in a bounty of crops, it only takes a couple of days to be able to afford a hutch a few chickens. They soon add a beehive and a couple of insect farms for honey and managing compost. As a recycle disciple Tristram is really happy they have a way of reducing waste; they can even have composting toilets!

Meanwhile Emily builds herself some planters for their sun room/ greenhouse so they can enjoy fruit and tomatoes all year round.

The addition of chickens means that the family can officially register their farm as a business with the Sims Municipal Committee and can finally order some flour and sugar to diversify their diets. Once the hens start laying eggs David finds great satisfaction in sitting down to enjoy a delicious farm produced meal at the table and chairs he crafted himself. It doesn't hurt that his Mother in Law Maria is a fantastic cook.

The family also find time during spring for some practical parent/ child bonding and by the end of Spring have mostly furnished their home so they can enjoy a few home comforts. They quickly agree that Emily should stick to gardening and leave the cooking to Maria and David. She's far too clumsy.

As Summer rolls in the family add a cow and a few mini sheep to their stock. David is thrilled about all the new animals to hug and play with, whilst Maria is more excited to try her hand at cheese making.

David may love getting up close and personal with the animals but Emily is unsure about all the chickens and sheep in her new home. Luckily the family have started building some more outdoor spaces so it won't be long until they can add a barn/ workshop.

It's not all plain sailing though; the family has a narrow escape from a burglar and Tristram's mood swings mean he neglects his recycling chores. David has to spend a few hours cleaning up and tackling fly and roach infestations.

The end of summer also brings several days of storms, making the need for a barn even more pressing. Luckily a few sunny breaks in the weather mean they can open their market stall and by Saturday David can show the sheep their cosy new barn.

With the animals safely out of the storm and all urgent tasks taken care of the Green family, who all love the outdoors, find themselves struggling with being cooped up inside. Sitting reading a book may be fine for an hour a two but soon becomes very boring.

Time to distract themselves with upgrading a few household items and helping Tristram catch up with schoolwork.

Although the weather is horrible, we leave the Green's in a great place. The farm is built and they have everything they need to live and work comfortably.

As well as a modest three bedroom farm house they have built an outdoor toilet block and kitchen, a workshop, barn and a sheltered spot for recycling. Once the Art Centre opens they will be able to buy decorations and make the space even more homely.

Most importantly the farm is officially open and other Newcrest residents can finally enjoy a varied diet.

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You don’t say.

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the producers of no other land @ the oscars 2025 <3

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Really been mulling this over a lot lately.

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☆ CAS Challenge: Create-A-Circus ☆

ANOTHER CHALLENGE, ITS BEEN A WHILE BUT WE BACK!

Initially, this was a clown challenge, but the cool peeps over on my discord started talking about a whole circus soooo here we are for now haha! (dw, i still wanna do a standalone clown challenge, and I will do that soon!) As the rules state, feel free to reroll whatever you need for the challenge to be bearable. If you do not own a physical d20, you can use this one here!

I'm curious to see what you guys will cook up with this, make sure to use the tag #createacircuscas so I can see all your circus babies! (Tag me as well!) Bonus points if you guys think of stories with these sims, I will be violently consuming them.

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Newcrest Fresh Start - Weeks 15 and 16

We are back to check in on Grace Anansi; Newcrest's resident spell caster and Magic and Crystal Shop proprietor.

The Sims Municipal Committee acknowledges that this is after a brief administrative delay as a government mandated software update roll out caused havoc behind the scenes of the Newcrest Fresh Start Scheme. (New update briefly broke the players game).

When we last saw Grace she managed to be the first official registered new business owner in Newcrest, successfully setting up her Magic shop which will enable all occult sims in the area to use their powers and upgrade their skill tree. She also managed to start building her shop, though she currently only has enough room for a bed and bathroom facilities, leaving her wares and customers outside. With winter on its way Grace has just a week to expand the property enough to bring everything inside.

In order to help her spend more time crafting and collecting materials she starts the week by hiring some help. Julia Wright needs the extra cash to support her through her final semesters at University.

Julia is fantastic with the customers, which means Grace even has energy at the end of the day to offer some paid gemology mentoring, indulge in some hobbies and practice her spell casting skills. With cash steadily coming in Grace is able to slowly expand her building, soon creating a cosy and welcoming indoor shop floor.

Outside of work hours Grace spends a bit more time romancing Keith, who she met and hit it off with when we last met her. Grace is a romantic sim, so saving up for a double bed was a big priority.

By Winterfest Eve the magic shop is established enough for the busy flow of holiday shoppers, even if some of them get a bit too competitive over the stock.

With Julia's help the last shopping day before Winterfest goes smoothly. Grace even finds the time to craft some gifts for her fellow occult neighbours Kerri and Kristoff.

The next day grace takes a well deserved day off and drops off her gifts. Kristoff is grateful for his new moonstone ring, which will help him manage his thirst for plasma as long as he can keep it charged. Grace gets to meet Kristoff's infant twins. Whilst she is happy her new friend is enjoying fatherhood, she's not sure parenthood is for her.

The evening is spent on a romantic snowy walk with Keith, and the pair decide to make their relationship official!

Just as things were going incredibly well for Grace, life deals a devastating blow. Not two days after making Keith her official boyfriend, Grace receives an early morning to call to let her know he tragically passed away.

This is a bit of an emotional roller coaster for Grace. She I incredibly sad but as a non-committal sim with a single and loving it relationship she can't help feel a little relieved to not be tied down, even if it the circumstances are tragic. This makes her feel guilty, and all the conflicting emotions leave her incredibly tense and unable to do anything.

Some kind words from her new friend and future neighbour Yuki Behr help relieve the tension, but the sadness still lingers and begins to affect her work. She finds herself botching a piece of jewellery and unable to charm the customers. Even the new spell she's learnt, Delicioso, fails her, producing nothing but a sad spoiled hot dog.

The week ends with a full blown blizzard. Grace figures there's no point opening and risking the health and safety of her staff and customers. She takes the time to catch up on crafting and offers a private mentoring session to any sims who braved the journey to shop.

It's enough to finish the exterior walls of her shop/home and start making the second floor habitable for her living space. There's lots to do before she has the magical shop and apartment of her dreams, but we leave her with the feeling that things are starting to take shape. It's now time to check in again with the Green family, and their community farm.

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Newcrest Fresh Start - Weeks 13 and 14

For week 13 of the Newcrest Fresh Start Scheme we're catching up with Avery, Kit and Baron. When we last saw the family Avery had started to establish their vet practice and had built a small clinic, though they were all still bunking up in what will be the staff room.

During the weeks we've been away Kit has aged from a child to a teenager, but he still loves animals, especially dogs.

If Avery can officially register their practice with the Sims Municipal Committee during the next two weeks then other Newcrest residents can keep their own pets and animals, which will help the Green Family register their farm.

Avery makes a quick decision to invest in a second second hand vet podium and hire Zoe Patel as an extra vet at the practice. Zoe is great with the client and Avery soon gives her a promotion. Avery also spends some of their spare time crafting treats, as they are a good earner, but it's a struggle to keep up with customer demand.

Now that Kit is a teenager he has a bit more in common with his neighbour Tristram Green. The pair both enjoy being outside and fishing, so they become friends pretty quickly. Avery and Kit drop by the farm to celebrate Spring Festival.

Spring also brings Love Day and Avery thinks this is a their chance to get closer to Xochitl. Unfortunetely despite Avery being as charming and flirty as possible, their crush has cooled off her affections. Maybe they'd be better off as friends. Kit, on the other hand, manages to score his first kiss with his classmate.

At the start of Summer kit gets an invite to take part in the Hunger Trials. He excitedly accepts and spends a couple of days away fighting for this life.

Whilst he is away Avery finds that running their growing vet clinic is not always smooth sailing. The place is regularly covered in more puke than they can handle, clients become too comfortable using the amenities and Zoe gets easily distracted playing with Baron on her break.

Things get so stressful Avery even has a couple of terrifying episodes of body horror.

Avert hires a second extra vet, Kasum Bun Ma, to ease the pressure a bit. This means there is always someone free to keep the floors vomit free, everyone gets some free time during their shift and Avery can keep the merchandise fridge stocked with treats.

This means that Avery makes enough daily profit to really start expanding their vert practice. They can invest in some newer equipment, update the furniture in the clinic and buy a full dog training course.

They still have to update their surgery and crafting station, but by Thursday they have enough amenities to officially register with the Sims Municipal Council, meaning their community will be able to keep their own pets and animals.

A busy Friday and Saturday also means they finish the week with a fully built clinic, with the frame of the two bedroom flat upstairs. Their home still needs furnishing and the outdoor space needs landscaping but Avery has made some amazing progress.

Next week we'll be rejoining Grace Anansi as she expands her Magic and Crystal Shop

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Newcrest Fresh Start - Weeks 11 and 12

With five households settling into their fresh start in Newcrest it's time to check back in with Kristoff, the resident writer and future librarian.

When we last saw Kristoff he had managed to publish enough books to bring in some steady income and started building his underground crypt home, as well as beginning a steamy affair with Victor Feng. Whilst the other new residents have been moving in he has struck up a friendship with Kerri Pool and went of a date with Paka'a Uha.

Player's note: In this update the fact that I am using Lumpinou's excellent RPO and LQBTQIA+ mods becomes relevant.

Kristoff continues writing novels and taking on more lucrative freelance gigs into Autumn and is soon able to build an expansive home, even if he cannot yet afford furniture. He also spends some time with his new friends the pools and finds there are benefits to being part of a human community as even Kerri's husband Ali is happy to help a bro out when he is in need to Plasma. Kerri and Kristoff soon become best friends.

During the first few days of Autumn Kristoff also follows up after his date with Paka'a. Kristoff just adores Paka's and is completely smitten but might have come on a bit too strong. He decides it'll be worth it to take things a little slower.

Meanwhile, a vampire sim has needs and Kristoff continues his affair with Victor who is more than happy to fulfil both his romance and plasma requirements.

Despite these distraction Kristoff hits some career highs, reaching the top level of writing skill and publishing his autobiography, 'Love and Life, Before and After' in the Readers Digest. He also gains a small amount of fame.

He picks up some furniture here and there, which means has a much nicer environment to entertain in. His next goal is to build the library building before the end of Winter.

As things with Paka'a look to be becoming more serious Kristoff thinks he should break it off with Victor. He is just practicing his break up speech on Winterfest Eve when he gets distracted by some strange lights outside and gets abducted by aliens.

In the early hours of Winterfest morning he receives a call to let him know that his 'good friend' Victor Feng has passed away. What a night!

Though he is feeling uncomfortable and sad, Kristoff decides to brave the sunshine and spend Winterfest getting to know his new community and spreading some cheer. It helps that his best friend is around to let him vent and offer some sage advice.

Before the day ends Kristoff realises he is pregnant!

Kristoff is trans but technically undead so didn't think he could actually get pregnant. He hadn't been too careful with Victor. He also was not planning on becoming a parent any time soon so this is an upsetting situation.

He thinks it's possible the weird prodding he was subjected to by the aliens might have something to do with it but it seems unlikely. The father must be Victor, right?

Paka'a is shocked when Kristoff tells him the news but to his surprise, is very suppportive and reassures him that it won't affect their relationship.

With Paka's support Kristoff builds a nursery and puts some time into parenting classes and therapy and soon finds some acceptance of his situation. Even learning he is expecting twins doesn't dampen his spirits and he finds he's actually looking forward to starting a family in Newcrest.

On Friday Paka'a arrives to stay for a couple of nights to help Kristoff through his upcoming labour. He's a welcome presence whilst Kristoff finishing off one last biography freelance commission before the babies are born. This means her can finish the exterior walls of what will be Newcrest's library.

Late Sunday morning Kristoff welcomes his surprisingly blue twin girls Natalia and Mikhaila. Maybe the aliens had something to do with it after all?

We leave him to settle into a parenthood and start planning the next stages of the library.

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Newcrest Fresh Start - Week 9 and 10

On week 9 of the Newcrest Fresh Start scheme the Sims Municipal Committee welcomed the last of their first batch of residents: newlyweds Kerri and Ali Pool.

The couple share a passion for leading active lives; Ali is an adventurous bro and Kerri is a self-absorbed child of the ocean who NEEDS to stay hydrated.

Ali is embarking on an athletic career, hoping to make the big leagues and bring in a hefty salary to fund their dream luxury gym. Meanwhile Kerri is an aspiring wellness influencer and hoped building her social medias will bring in prospective members.

Moving into their new lot on a Saturday, with nothing but a tent, barbecue, cooler and handy bush, Kerri and Ali have a couple of days to work until their next work day and pay check. They use the time to build up their fitness and wellness skills to give them a career booth.

Knowing that Kerri's delicate scales skin will suffer without regular bathing, they both take on some odd jobs to pay for a rustic tub.

The first week is dedicated to going to work, working out and cultivating foraged mushrooms so they have a healthy food source.

They also find time to meet most of their neighbours. David Green is obviously a healthy dude and gives of energetic vibes so Ali hopes they might one day be gym buddies. Sadly he does not seem to be a fellow bro though.

When they first meet Kristoff the couple think he seems a bit bookish and indoors and aren't sure they'll have much in common. To their surprise though Kristoff starts to pop round to share an interest in wellness with Kerri and over the next week the pair bond and become good friends.

After their first week in Newcrest Ali and Kerri realise they are going to have to start hustling harder if they want to make any progress on building their fitness centre and home.

They invest in equipment to help build their skills and help thiner careers, including some cutting edge video and streaming equipment for Kerri. When they are not on shift at their day job Ali continues to take odd jobs that make use of his growing physical prowess and charisma, whilst Kerri starts leading classes and giving massages at the Willow Creek Spa.

By the end of the week they have build a large room for sleeping, work and errr toileting. It's not much but it's a solid start and with Kerri's new streaming station she sure she's about to blow up!

Now that the first five households have moved in the Sims Municipal Committee are going to give everyone a few weeks to establish themselves more so we'll be catching up with Kristoff, Avery, Grace the Greens and Ali and Kerri again soon.

[phylliscyst]

Newcrest Fresh Start - Week 8

Last week the Newcrest welcomed the Green family and they began to establish their community farm.

Whilst Emily continued her salary job as a gardener David put his effort into fermenting fizzy juice, kombucha and seltzer so they can profit from their stored produce throughout winter. After a good first day selling their wares on the market stall they invest in a cooker so that Maria can turn more of their produce into sauces and preserves to sell.

Tristram, however, is starting to struggle living in such close quarters with his family whilst dealing with tonnage hormones and mood swings. Though they were close when he was a child, he starts to find his Grandma to strict and overbearing. He goes for a lot of jogs to cool down.

One day David is harvesting prairie grass and finds a bottle of Energy Wine. He pops it on the market stall on a whim and is surprised when it sells for a couple of thousand simoleons!

The windfall allows the family to start building their home properly. They may still be sharing one room for now but at least they have real beds and Tristram has somewhere to hide when things get a bit too much.

Inspired by the profits on the found wine, David invests some kit to brew his own wine, and is able to produce a few bottles before grape supplies run too low. He also invests in a woodwork bench to try his hand at making furniture for their new home.

The family are also able to buy a stand mixer, which allows Maria to make a Tofurkey grand meal for Winterfest. They even afford a stack of presents and find some time to enjoy the new chessboard Emily received.

The family continue their work farming, fizzing, canning and wine making and manage to bring in enough cash by the end of the week to build up the outer walls of what will soon be their new home.

There is a lot left to do, the house needs inner walls and furniture and the whole outside needs organising. Emily and David have plans to plant more produce, build barns and a patio and start keeping animals..

For now though we leave them in a very positive place, enjoying the fresh snow as a family and celebrating New Years Eve around a fire.

The Sims Municipal Council has decided to move five households in at first, before allowing the new residents some extra time to settle in.

After spinning the randomiser wheel they invite the last of this rounds new residents to Newcrest: Kerry and Ali Pool who will be building and running a fitness centre for the residents to enjoy.