The document provides an update on the lives of various Sim characters. It describes Harkon getting engaged to Nirel, whom he met online, after searching for clues in Andre Norton books. Tirtha decides to move in with her friend Trixie to escape living with family. The story catches the reader up on the characters and their new developments in a lighthearted and conversational style.

1. Hi everybody! (waves) No update last week on account of I was busy going out to
comedy clubs and the theater and dinner and spending time with friends and getting
older. You have to do these things right. But this week there’s a shiny new chapter for
your reading pleasure.
Incidentally, between the last update and this one, this story has had 106 views. Either
I’m getting to be a bit popular or I’m not updating often enough.
But enough about me. Let’s rejoin our story now: Already in Progress…

2. CILLIAN: So when is your sister due?
ANNE: Lucy? Is she expecting? I didn’t know she was expecting. Why do you ask? Do
you know something I don’t?

3. CILLIAN (V.O.): Well, when I was tub pirating, she came rushing in and really made a
mess. I just thought that – well, I’m too much of a Family Sim, I guess.
ANNE (V.O.): Oh, maybe not. I mean, she might be pregnant. We don’t talk about that
too much. Lucy’s a little weird about things like that, you know? She kind of pretends
that there’s nothing in between the neck and the knees. I think it’s silly. So until she pops,
we just won’t know. Let’s talk about something else. I invited Cousin Harkon over for
lunch today.
CILLIAN (V.O.): That’s nice. You’re not going to pry too much are you?
ANNE (V.O.): What do you mean, “pry”? I don’t pry into anybody’s life. He tells me
things because we’re friends and he likes telling me things and I like listening to him tell
me things. I mean, I like telling him things too, but we’re not talking about that. That’s
not prying by any stretch of the imagination.
CILLIAN (V.O.): No, it isn’t. But promise me that if Harkon doesn’t want to talk about
anything today you won’t make him. I think he’s kind of shy.
ANNE (V.O.): Shy? Harkon? Don’t be ridiculous. He’s not a bit shy. (catches sight of
Cillian’s face) But okay, I promise: I won’t make Harkon talk about anything he doesn’t
want to talk about.

4. ANNE: Harkon, why don’t you tell them why you’re reading so much Andre Norton?
HARKON: Oh, no, I couldn’t. It’s stupid…
ANNE: No, it’s romantic! See, Harkon met this guy online that he likes a lot, and the guy
said that if Harkon can track down his real name then they’ll go out on a date. And he
gave Harkon a hint, which was to read Andre Norton, although I don’t know why. It’s all
very mysterious.
SIMON (doubtfully): That sounds like a head game to me. I don’t think I’d want to play.
ANNE: No, no, it’s so romantic! It’s Destiny, and True Love, and Fate, and all kinds of
wonderful things! Simon, you should at least talk with Harkon about the books he’s been
reading. – Simon and his siblings were named for characters in Andre Norton books.

5. JASMINE: Were you really? Which one?
SIMON: Oh, my character was in the first two, and was responsible for the main
characters of the next three. My brother and sister were named for the leads in ’Ware
Hawk.
HARKON: Tirtha and Alon?
SIMON: Not Alon – Nirel. He shows up on page six or seven, but you don’t get his name
until about halfway through the story, and even then it gets used less than half a dozen
times. Mostly he’s referred to as “the Falconer.”
HARKON (half to himself): An extra syllable!
SIMON: I beg your pardon?

6. HARKON: Will you excuse me, please? I have to make a phone call.

7. And just to confirm… Lucy was indeed pregnant.
ANNE: Hooray! A baby! I’m an auntie! Oh, how wonderful! What’s his name? Can I
hold him? Do you think he looks more like you or more like Simon? Hiiiii baby! Hiiiii
there! I’m your Auntie Anne! We’re going to have lots of fun together! We’re going to
have even more fun when your mommy tells me what your name is. Hint hint, Lucy. I
said, “hint hint.”
JASPER: I’m pleased about the baby, Lucy, but did you have to yell so loud while you
were giving birth?
LUCY (ignoring her father): His name is Oliver. And what am I supposed to do with him
now? He’s not big enough to be interesting.
ANNE: You can give him to me. I’ll take him. Hiiiii, Oliver, hiiiiiii! Do you want a
bottle? I bet you do. I bet you want a bottle. Let’s go get you a bottle, big guy.

8. Simon’s siblings are doing okay on their own. Tirtha has decided to follow in her
mother’s footsteps and is working on a flower arranging badge.

9. D9e
336b1 11/7
She is also in charge of the two new apple trees, which are just as sickly as the old one
was. I don’t understand why they aren’t healthy. I don’t get the option to Tend them very
often, they don’t get infested much either, and as far as I know, there’s no difference in
the Sims between plants that like to be on the north side of the house versus those that
like to be on the south side. Is there even a “north” and a “south” in the Sims?
(Phone rings inside)
TIRTHA (calls): Nirel, can you get that?

10. NIREL (stifling a yawn): Hello?
NIREL: This is he.

11. HARKON: Hey, Nirel. It’s Tzepish. Uh, Harkon. Littledragon. I think that maybe I get to
buy you dinner now.
HARKON: Sure, I know it. When?
HARKON: Tomorrow evening, okay. I guess I should tell you what I look like so we can
find each oth – Why won’t that work?
HARKON: Oh. Uh – no, no, it’s not a problem! No, not at all. Uh, what will you be
wearing then?

12. In other news, Eileen and Mifune are competing for Parents of the Year Award.
MIFUNE: They’re screaming again. Which one do you want?
EILEEN: I’ll take Stinky and you take Smelly.
They aren’t doing too well in the rankings.

13. And Elle is just as good a grandmother as she was a mother. I’m sure we all know what
that means.
EILEEN: Mom! Do you have set yourself on fire in front of the baby? We’re going to
have to pay for her therapy now!
Runs in the family, I guess.

14. Despite which, the twins have grown up well. Louise (the blond) is a faster skiller and is
more interested in skilling. Myrna (the brunette) is much more interested in basic toddler
skills and snuggling – more family-type stuff. The grandparents are the ones who help
out with that; Eileen and Mifune are basically Not Involved.
Promising, no?
I didn’t think so either.

15. HARKON: Hi – Nirel Couderc?
NIREL: That’s me. Are you Harkon?
HARKON: Yes. Wow, I never thought I’d actually meet you…
NIREL: Me either. (self-consciously) Hey, is it okay if I touch your shoulder and your
face? So I can tell how tall you are and what you look like?
HARKON: Okay…

16. And if I hadn’t already accidentally lost the Internet Lover challenge, this would have
been the point where I won.
Alas.
But dinner went well, despite the hostess seating them outside sans coats.

17. HARKON: So, Nirel… This may be kind of sudden, since we’ve only just met.
Technically, I mean. But I feel like I’ve known you for a very long time, and so I brought
this along, just in case… (pushes box across table to Nirel) It’s directly in front of your
left hand.

18. NIREL: It feels like a… ring?
HARKON: It is.
NIREL: Hmmm. Is it shiny?
HARKON: Um, yes…

19. NIREL: Oh, good. I used to be a regular magpie. (slips ring on) So how does it look?
HARKON: Perfect.

20. The Sarah Jane Littledragon family has moved, and here is why.
It gets cold in the winter, and active little boys who are outside in the snow all day need
hot chocolate to warm up. So our very own Glitch!Baby, Descartes, will pour himself a
cup…

21. …sit down to drink it…

22. …and immediately teleport to behind the chair, without the hot chocolate, and just as cold
as ever. He will repeat these actions in a continuous loop unless interrupted. In the
(probably vain) hope that the problem is the house rather than the Sim, the family has
relocated.

23. Things are not perfect at the new house.
But at least this looks like a simple graphical glitch rather than an important-things-not-
working glitch, like the other ones.

24. The family is settling in nicely, and they are taking full advantage of the automatic
change in seasons that comes with a move. I’m hoping for a good crop of eggplants to
help Tim out with his LTW. He still skills normally too, but once you’re past about Level
Seven skilling just goes soooo slooowlllly.

25. And Descartes got a nice little grade boost with moving, since all his unfinished
homework vanished as if it had never been. Tim taught him how to study, and that
shouldn’t be an issue anymore.
Descartes would rather spend his time making friends with his cousins than doing stupid
old homework.
Speaking of whom…

26. Edgar has become a Toddler, and quite the cutie he is too. He likes to follow Dante
around.
DANTE: Om nom nom. See, Eddie? That’s what you do with cookies. (demonstrates)
Om nom nom.
EDGAR: Om nom. Nom hand!
DANTE (interestedly): Is your hand nummy?
EDGAR: Nummy hand! Nom!

27. EDGAR: I p’ay too?
DANTE: I’m not playing, Eddie. I’m doing my homework.
EDGAR: I p’ay too?
DANTE: When you’re bigger. Just let me finish this and then I’ll play with you.
Edgar and Dante get along very well. Charlie’s main interactions with Edgar consist of
attempts to Tease him. Of course she has one Nice point to Dante’s nine – and Edgar’s
ten.

28. MATTHIAS: So can you see our new house?
CHARLOTTE: Nope. Daddy, why do we have to move?
MATTHIAS: Um… Uh… Termites, honey. The house is completely infested with
termites. It’s terrible.
CHARLOTTE: But the house is made out of plaster and stone and poured concrete and
metal and glass. How can we have termites?
MATTHIAS: Charlie, sweetie, bad things happen when we question the Will of Hobbes.
Let’s not do it any more, okay?

29. The Will of Hobbes has nothing to do with it. I didn’t like the layout of the old house, so
they moved. This place is much better. It has a Dance Sphere in the living room!

30. And the kids can go outside and play with friends from school. I mean, not that they
couldn’t at the old place, but this is a much better set up.
Dante tends to bring home redheaded girls. I wonder if he’s trying to tell me something?

31. Plus, it’s got room to have the toy store on the premises, so I don’t have to play the same
day over twice to run it. That does mean that I can’t send playables there from their home
lots to buy toys, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for now.
Tyrone is at the register. He’s become an Elder, but you’d never know it from the back.
Notice his nifty Official Monk Suit? That’s not normally available for Elders. I made the
custom content myself. You may be impressed if you like.
Er, pay no attention to the strange mesh. I’m not that good. Moving right along…

32. Trixie had a few days all on her own. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

33. But that didn’t mean that she liked it.

34. And when she Grew Up, it wasn’t particularly Well, although she didn’t need a visit from
the Shrink. She also Grew Up in pretty awful clothing, and in a very small space where
taking pictures was impossible.
I swear, it’s coded in there: “ImportantLifeEvent=gotoBathroom_TRUE”

35. PERRY: You’re what, now?
HARKON: Engaged! Isn’t it wonderful?
AMETHYST: Do we know this boy?
PERRY: How did you meet him?
AMETHYST: How long have you known him?
HARKON: No, you don’t know him. I met him in person for the first time today, but
we’ve talked online for years. He’s The One, I just know it!
AMETHYST (skeptically): How old is he?
HARKON: Nineteen.
AMETHYST: And you’re twenty-five. Perry, talk him out of it.
(Perry opens his mouth)
HARKON (firmly): Da, you’re not getting any grandbabies until I’m married.
PERRY: Oh, come on, Amy. Who are we to stand in the way of true love?

36. Nobody, apparently. Nirel Couderc is now Nirel Littledragon.

37. HARKON: Thank you so much for coming! Now I know what you meant when you said
he had some catching up to do.
SAMANTHA ROYCE THE MATCHMAKER: I’m glad you found him, hon. If you
really wanted to look that hard, I’m glad you found him. Don’t take this wrong, but I’m
not going to be getting any more calls from you now, am I?
HARKON: Only to chat. At least until my children are teenagers.
SAMANTHA ROYCE THE MATCHMAKER: (sighs)
The party was a roaring success. Harkon’s parents moved in afterwards, to help with any
and all future grandbabies.

38. And in the library (which, as one of the few fully enclosed rooms in the house, is also a
bedroom) Tirtha had a conversation with Trixie.
TRIXIE: Hey, I really don’t like living on my own. And that house is too big and too full
of memories. I’ve been thinking of moving somewhere new. Would you be interested in
becoming my roommate?
TIRTHA: You mean I’d get to sleep in a real bedroom? And I wouldn’t have to live with
my brother’s mother-in-law? Count me in!
And that’s all I have for you this time around. Tune in next time for more documentary
goodness and less plot than ever. Until then, Happy Simming!

39. PS: If you were wondering why Nirel doesn’t wear dark glasses even though he is now
completely blind, this is why. It’s far too Men In Black. Not to mention that it’s a
stereotype that often doesn’t apply. But mostly it’s the Men In Black thing.
Happy Simming!