1. Welcome back to Already in Progress! Are you ready for another college
chapter?
I can’t hear you! Are you ready for another college chapter? Woo! Yeah!
What? It took me ages to play this through – I’m excited it’s finished!
(clears throat) Well, anyway, it’s another college chapter, and this picture
shows just why I’m happy to have neatnik boys in college: they rake up all
those pesky leaves, and gain both fun and cleaning points for doing so.
And now let’s rejoin our story: Already in Progress…

2. Descartes, Dante, and Charlotte have headed off to college. They are all
badly in need of the traditional wardrobe adjustment. I mean, Descartes
does an awful lot for an outfit, but that’s an uphill battle if I ever saw one.
And while Charlie’s not masculine, she’s also not a ruffled-little-skirt
kinda gal.
Allyn Anderson in the back there doesn’t seem to have a problem with
anyone’s looks.
I believe I was concerned that there might not be enough redheaded girls
at college for Don to choose from?

3. I needn’t have worried.

4. In fact, there are twice as many redheads as there should be. Each and
every dormie has a doppelganger, thanks to my adding a new custom
college, messing up big time, deleting it, and starting over. Adding a
college generates dormies, and I now have two of everybody.

5. The easy way to fix that is to give makeovers to the ones I can get my
hands on. I’d change their outfits, too, if there were any way to do that.
Unfortunately, all I can think of is to have my college crew open a
business and sell them new outfits, but I think that may have borked my
game right after this rebuild. Perhaps it will be okay to sell them new
outfits after Descartes & Co. have graduated?

6. Descartes is a Fortune Sim, and pretty routinely rolls Wants to Earn Some
Money. That means that he gets to work in the cafeteria.
TODD KNIGHT, THE COOK: You gonna be okay, kid?
DESCARTES: Yes, sir, Mr. Knight. Don’t you worry about a thing.
TODD KNIGHT: (grunts) You can handle the menu?
DESCARTES: Mac and cheese or spaghetti, served regular, Cajun style,
or extra-crispy, yes, sir.
TODD KNIGHT: (snorts)
Descartes is sufficiently awesome that he makes the uniform look good
too.

7. Dante had some trouble making friends at first.
CATALINA ENRIQUEZ: No, I don’t want to play catch. Or even sit with
you at lunch.
DANTE (bewildered): Why not?
CATALINA ENRIQUEZ: Because you’re a twink.
DANTE: But I’m not blonde. I’m not even gay!
CATALINA ENRIQUEZ: (rolls eyes) Twink.

8. The female upperclassmen in this dorm seem to have a bit of an attitude
problem, actually.
DESCARTES: Got it?
DANTE: Yep, yep – wait…
LILLY HIATT: Thththpppppt! You guys suck!
DANTE: No, there it is. Comin’ atcha!
LILLY HIATT: Boo! My granny is better at kicky bag than you, and she’s
in a wheelchair!
DESCARTES: Do you actually want to join in and show us how it’s
done?
LILLY HIATT: Nah, I’d rather heckle. Thanks anyway.

9. Charlotte amused herself by starting fires, mostly. She has a distinct
tendency to start cooking Ramen, walk away, and only be reminded of her
noodles by the fire alarm.
Oh, like you’ve never done that!

10. She also cheats heavily at chess, just like her cousin.
CHARLOTTE: Oh, look! It’s Bigfoot!
HAPLESS DORMIE: Bigfoot?! Here?! Where? Where?
CHARLOTTE: (moving her bishop several squares over and onto the
wrong color) You missed him. Too bad. It’s your turn.

11. Actually, it’s pretty hard to pry any of the gang away from the chessboard.
DESCARTES: Don? What are you doing?
DANTE: Oh, hi, Descartes. I just thought I’d get in a quick game with
Abbey, here.
DESCARTES: You know I was going to play chess this afternoon.
DANTE: You were? Sorry, I must have forgotten.
ABBEY TSVURIKOV: Do you want to play? I can leave…
DESCARTES: No, no, that’s okay, Abbey. You don’t have to leave. Don
was just going. Weren’t you, Don?
DANTE: Oh, right. Yup. Sure was. Have fun, Abbey. And watch out – he
cheats.

12. Abbey is a quiet, Shy dormie who I’m pretty sure is a Knowledge Sim.
Descartes spends a fair amount of time studying with her.
Or just plain studying her. You decide.

13. At the beginning of Descartes & Co.’s junior year, a whole new batch of
students showed up, increasing the level of Potential Interest.
Top to bottom, left to right:
Albert Adams, the required child from my Polyamory Project Challenge;
Buttercup Shankel, oldest child from my (un)Officially Wacky Boolprop
Challenge;
Edgar Miller, Charlie and Don’s half-brother and Descartes’ cousin;
Louise Sanders (in the lumberjack outfit), friend of Buttercup and
Descartes;
Myrna Sanders, Louise’s twin and acquaintance of most everyone;
and
Samantha Littledragon, friend of Buttercup and Louise.

14. Edgar’s siblings came over to help him settle in, and Eddie wasted no
time.
EDGAR: Hey Louise, can I introduce you to my sister? I think you’d get
along really well.
LOUISE: You want to introduce me to someone? Sure, okay.

15. EDGAR: Charlie, this is Louise. Louise, this is my sister Charlotte. I think
you’ve got a lot in common.
LOUISE: Hi. Nice to meet you.
CHARLOTTE: Nice to meet you. Sorry about my brother. He couldn’t
wait until I was finished? – Hey Eddie! Where are you going?
EDGAR: More people to introduce! Gotta go!
Edgar is a ten-Nice-point, nine-or-ten-Outgoing-point Popularity Sim.

16. EDGAR: Don, have you met Samantha yet? Samantha has the room one
down from me. Samantha, this is my brother Dante.
DANTE: Don.
SAMANTHA: Hi, Don. Good to meet you. (laughs) Golly, Eddie’s
introducing me to so many new people today.
DANTE: Yeah, he does that. So, uh, have you picked a major yet?

17. SAMANTHA: You want to be Mayor? Oh, that’s great, Eddie! You’ll be
able to do so much good!
EDGAR: I will?
SAMANTHA: Yeah! You’ll really be in a position to effect social change!
I think maybe I’d like to be a social worker, so I can make a difference in
people’s lives.
DANTE: A social worker? Like the people who come take away children?
SAMANTHA: No, not Child Protective. Family Placement, maybe. I was
adopted, and I’d really like to help other kids find good homes. Or maybe
Holistic Wraparound. Those workers don’t have many clients, but they get
involved in every aspect of their lives and make such a difference.
EDGAR: See, I just want to be Mayor because I like having lots of friends
and stuff. And parties are nice, too.

18. Eddie wasn’t so interested in Samantha’s plans. But she made quite the
impression on Dante.
DANTE: Hi, Samantha. It’s Don Miller. Eddie’s brother?
SAMANTHA: Oh, Eddie’s brother! Hi! How are you?
DANTE: Doing well, thanks. How are you?
SAMANTHA: I’m just peachy. What can I do you for?
DANTE: I was wondering if you’d like to go out for dinner. Sometime
this week, maybe.
SAMANTHA: I’d love to! I have a bunch of questions for you, actually.
DANTE (pleasantly surprised): You do? Oh – okay then.

19. SAMANTHA: I’m glad you suggested dinner. Separate checks?
DANTE: No, no – it’s on me.
SAMANTHA: Really? Thanks, that’s really generous! So about my
questions: What kind of stuff is Eddie into?
DANTE: Well, I like – um. Eddie?
SAMANTHA: (nods vigorously) Uh-huh. I figured you’d know best, since
he’s your brother and all. I wanna know everything.
Poor Don! Not that everything in his life is going badly.

20. DESCARTES: So, Charlie, Don and I were talking about starting a frat.
You wanna join us?
CHARLOTTE: In the frat?
DESCARTES: Uh-huh. We could have parties. It would be awesome.
CHARLOTTE: Descartes, fraternities are for boys only.
DESCARTES: Nah, there are some professional fraternities that admit
women as full brothers. Not that we’re founding one of those. But you like
girls, right?

21. CHARLOTTE (V.O.): Um… Yes.
DESCARTES (V.O.): See, I thought so. Although what you see in that
snooty biyotch Lilly Hiatt I will never know. So that’s okay. You can join.
Right, Don?
DANTE (V.O.) (mildly): She could join even if she didn’t like girls.
You’re just nosy.
DESCARTES (V.O.): So I’m nosy. Are you in, Charlie?
CHARLOTTE (V.O.): Sure, I’m in.

22. Like all my Greek Houses, Cham Hoh House is a stripped-down shell that
will eventually be refurbished using scholarship money. In fact, it’s the
same shell I’ve used for almost every fraternity I’ve ever had. And like all
of my previous frats, it has nothing to do for either skill building or
amusement the first few semesters.
Hence the yoga.

23. And like all my Greek Houses, it’s infested with cow mascots. You know,
for every one that you see, there’s fifty you don’t. And they’re the only
thing that will walk away from a direct hit with an atom bomb. Or is that
cockroaches?
Meh, what’s the difference? This particular cow mascot came in and made
poor nine-Nice-points Dante cry.
DESCARTES: Hey, I really like your technique.
COW MASCOT: You think? ‘Cause I wasn’t sure if I should use the
sudden shove or the poke in the belly…
DESCARTES: Nah, it worked well. Just let me give you a quick pointer,
okay?

24. DESCARTES: Don’t mess with a man who has a one-Nice-point cousin
and a SimVac.

25. In contrast to the Greek House, there are plenty of things to do at the
dorms. Like spontaneous Smustle parties in the cafeteria.
It looks like Louise’s practice sessions in high school paid off.

26. Admittedly, not all the activities are as successful at Rossi Hall as they
were at Gilbert Hall. Makeovers take three times as long, fires are bigger,
and not all the residents approve of each other’s preferred leisure time
activities. (Oddly, Samantha and Albert have near-identical personality
point spreads – but Samantha, being more Playful, will always pick the
stereo over the chessboard to raise her Fun meter.)
And although the pool is not actually at the dorm, it is how I found out
that Myrna is afraid of heights.
MYRNA: Whoa Nelly, that water’s a long way down! I think maybe I’ll
just use the ladder to get in…

27. One activity that is universally popular, however, is the robot bench. Any
time I can’t think of anything else for someone to do, they’ll be on it.
Some of them occasionally roll the Want for a Bronze badge, though that
tends to go away after a square meal.
I think we can all agree that Edgar is the best-looking robot enthusiast,
particularly given his tendency to work shirtless.
Unless your autonomous gender preference is for females, of course. Then
that statement was both presumptuous and rhetorical.

28. Eddie’s Nice points do get him into awkward situations sometimes.
BUTTERCUP: Come on, Eddie. What does he like? What will it take for
him to look at me as more than just the girl who cheats him at chess every
day?
EDGAR: I don’t know. It’s never come up. …Do you really cheat?
BUTTERCUP: I would never cheat my dear friend and most favoritest
cousin Eddie. Especially not when he’s going to ask his friend Albert what
he looks for in a woman so that I can make adjustments as necessary.
Because you are going to ask for me, aren’t you, Eddie? (fake sniffle and
puppy-dog eyes) Pwease?
EDGAR: (sigh) Okay. I’ll ask.
BUTTERCUP: Thanks, Eddie! You’re the best. – Hey, look! It’s Bella
Goth! Behind you!

29. EDGAR: So, Albert, my man – what kinds of things are you attracted to?
ALBERT: Boobs. And other body parts you haven’t got. Why? Have you
just figured something out?
EDGAR (massively embarrassed): Oh no no no! I’m not asking for me! I
totally don’t think of you like that! I mean, we’re best friends, but – I
mean – Look, I know a girl who likes you and she asked me if I would ask
you what you like so that I can go back and tell her.
ALBERT: What is this, junior high? Glasses and custom hair.
EDGAR: Pardon?
ALBERT: Glasses and custom hair is what I like. But if you show up here
tomorrow sporting both, we’re going to have to have a serious chat.

30. Edgar was not the one who showed up with a new look the next day. And
the rest, as they say, is history.

31. Greek Houses mean toga parties, and Cham Hoh House is no exception.
DESCARTES: Hey, Abbey, are you having any fun at all?
ABBEY: Oh, yes, yes, I’m having fun. I just have this assignment…
DESCARTES: It’ll keep. Come on, have some pizza, dance a little.
ABBEY: Oh, well, I… I don’t much like large groups of people…
DESCARTES: They’re all good folks. Everyone’s here to have a good
time. It’s just a pity you’re not in a toga.
ABBEY: Neither are you.
DESCARTES (cheerfully): Nope. Shall we dance?

32. ABBEY (self-consciously): On a bright cloud of music shall we fly?
DESCARTES: See, the problem with that reference is that I don’t know
how to polka. Do you?
ABBEY: Um, no, actually.
Okay, I’ll stop the Rogers & Hammerstein references now. Sorry.

33. CHARLOTTE: Louie –
LOUISE: Louise.
CHARLOTTE: Louizzzzze, you are just about the prettiest girl I have ever
seen in my whole hic life.
LOUISE: Aw, really?
CHARLOTTE: Yup. You’re really hic really pretty. And you skin is really
hic soft. Do you mous– mois– use something on it?
LOUISE: No, nothing special.
CHARLOTTE: Well, whatever you’re hic doing works, because you’re
really hic really pretty.
LOUISE: Well, thanks, Charlie. I like that nightie you’ve got on.
CHARLOTTE: Aw, thanks! See, that’s what I like about you – you’re
really hic nice. And pretty. hic Excuse me, I have to go throw up now.

34. Despite Charlie’s difficulties in regulating her juice intake, Louise agreed
to go out with her. Once Charlie got over the hangover, of course.
The date was only Okay, because you should never ever take a non-
controllable date to a lot with a poker table. They will not leave it. Not
even if the controllable Sim offers to make out with them right then and
there.

35. But did you know that two Sims in love will kiss while twirling on the
skating rink? Isn’t it the cutest thing ever?

36. During senior year, Cham Hoh House got a karaoke machine.
DESCARTES: I like big butts and I cannot lie!
DANTE: You other brothers may deny!
DESCARTES: When a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist and a round
thing in your face, you get –
DANTE: Sprung!
They had fun with it, even if the motivation for buying it was a little
unclear. I mean, they don’t even have walls around the toilet!

37. And Samantha and Dante still get together on a regular basis for bowling,
study sessions, lunch, coffee…

38. …stuff like that. Purely on a friendly basis, of course.
SAMANTHA: Heathcliiiiiiiff, it’s me a-Cathy come
DANTE and SAMANTHA (together): Hooooome
SAMANTHA: I’m so
DANTE and SAMANTHA (together): Cooooold
SAMANTHA: Let me in-a-your windooooooow
DANTE: This isn’t really a duet.
SAMANTHA: Who cares? Are you really going to get a machine for the
House?
DANTE: Eh, well…
SAMANTHA: Wow, if you had a one of these, I’d be over there every
single day!

39. But things couldn’t go on that way forever.
SAMANTHA: So what’s up, guys? Why the formal meeting?
EDGAR: Well, Sam, I think that maybe there have been some
misunderstandings that are causing some problems for people I care about.
So I thought that we should sit down and talk things out.
SAMANTHA: I don’t get it. What kind of misunderstandings?
EDGAR: I’ll start. Right now, I’m just looking to be friends with people. I
like having friends, I like having fun, and I like seeing people happy. I’m
not looking to date anybody. Anybody, Don. (to Dante) Maybe you have
something you’d like to say to Sam now?
DANTE (hesitantly): I won’t be stepping on any toes?
EDGAR: Nope.

40. DANTE: Okay. (to Samantha) I like spending time with you. A lot.
SAMANTHA: Aw, I like spending time with you, too, Donnie!
DANTE: I like going out with you. “Going out” as in actually going out.
But the first time we went to dinner, you asked about Eddie, so I thought
that you were interested in him. Not me.
SAMANTHA: Well, I was…
DANTE: So I didn’t say anything, because he’s my brother.
SAMANTHA: But I’m interested now, Donnie! I thought you weren’t!
DANTE: Ah. Well, I’ve always been “calling with serious intentions.”
SAMANTHA: (unsure whether to be amused at the phrasing): “Serious
intentions”?
EDGAR: Don and I are both pretty Serious. So you’re good now?
DANTE and SAMANTHA: Yes.

41. SAMANTHA: I’m glad we had this talk, Donnie.
DANTE: Me too, Sam. Me too. So… I’ll call you in a couple days? You
know, officially? Now that we’re on the same page?
SAMANTHA: I’d like that. (smiles) I’d like that a lot.

42. Don graduated not too long after that, along with Charlie and Descartes.
They all graduated Summa Cum Laude, and they spent their final grants in
a highly responsible manner: Behold the party pavilion!
Well, what would you spend your money on if you wanted to leave behind
the coolest Greek House ever?
Cham Hoh is now in the highly capable hands of Eddie, by the way.

43. Charlie and Don did okay in the Transition Lottery, considering, but
Descartes’s legendary Awesomeness and Win deserted him completely.
There is no redeeming that outfit.

44. And right after Descartes & Co. left, three new students arrived. This
looks like drama waiting to happen… but this is also where I’ll leave you
for now. Until next time, Happy Simming!
*********************
Descartes and Dante are singing “Baby Got Back,” originally by Sir Mix-A-Lot,
although I prefer the Gilbert & Sullivan version. (You’re welcome.)
Samantha and Dante are singing “Wuthering Heights,” originally by Kate Bush,
although I prefer the Pat Benetar version.
Descartes and Abbey are referencing “Shall We Dance?” from The King and I,
which is indeed a polka – unusual for a Broadway show tune.