The document recaps a complex fictional story involving multiple characters and their intertwining relationships. It summarizes that two sets of twins, Deadeye and Nanki-Poo and Trudy and Paul, were both promised in arranged marriages by their grandfather to unite different branches of the family. However, the characters all had different romantic partners in mind, leading to conflict until it was revealed that Trudy and Paul were actually siblings of a different family, allowing Deadeye and Nanki-Poo to marry their chosen partners Draupadi and Tisha, while Trudy and Paul were freed from the arrangement.

1. Hello! I have said all this time that I planned to expose y’all to all
fourteen Gilbert & Sullivan operettas, and if you’ve been counting,
you’ll realize that you’ve only seen thirteen. This story is number
fourteen.
I’ve been setting it up for years, and across multiple stories. I’ve
also gone walkabout for quite a bit lately, and I’m quite sure you’ve
forgotten all the relevant Plot points. So even though I don’t
normally do recaps, let’s start out with some recapping.

2. First up, you need to know about our protaganists: Deadeye and
Naniki-Poo Shankel.
They are twins, and Deadeye is the elder by a few minutes.
Technically, they are not true members of the Shankel family, since
they are the product of an alien abduction and the heiress’ husband.
This has never bothered the boys, their half-sisters, their aunts and
uncles, their grandparents, their cousins, or their father’s wife.
(Who they call “Mom.”) It did, however, bother their father when
he was pregnant.

3. The father of the wife of Deadeye and Nanki-Poo’s father Deadeye and Nanki-
Poo’s father’s father-in-law
Oh heck, with it: Deadeye and Nanki-Poo’s grandfather Old Adam Shankel
promised their father that one of his children would marry into the family for
reals.
GLEN: I am excited about the baby, but… it won’t be a true Shankel, not like the
girls. It will only be my child, not Lisa’s. I’m introducing a cuckoo into the nest.
OLD ADAM: Don’t be ridiculous! I myself would gladly have welcomed an
alien child when I was your age, and so would my dear Myrna. But if it troubles
you so, think no more of it: your child shall marry Leila’s eldest.
*See Ruth’s (u)OWBC, Chapter 25, available on my Dreamwidth.

4. Deadeye and Nanki-Poo’s mother Lisa is one of four girls. Her twin
sister Leila was in charge of an asy – a residential facility for
people with psychological differences* for a while, where she met,
fell in love with, and eventually woohooed townie Abhijeet Fuchs.
Leila failed spectacularly, and was subsequently resurrected by her
boyfriend, albeit with retrograde amnesia covering the prior two
weeks.
*See The Jack Point Home for Pedestrian Playables, available on my
Dreamwidth.

5. Which means that you and I, loyal readers, are the only ones who
remember that Leila used a highly illegal pregnancy accelerator so
as to not miss any work.

6. The third sister is Phoebe, who married plantsim Chant Couderc
over her father’s objections.* Phoebe and Chant had a son named
Nicholas, who may or may not have mid-control powers.
Nicholas wanted a sister the same age as him, so Chant spawned
and then cured a plantbaby.
*See OFB Farmstand, available on my Dreamwidth.

7. This did not go over well. At all.
PHOEBE: Thou hast introduced a cuckoo into the nest!
CHANT: Hey! She’s still my kid! Are you really saying that you’d
rather raise your sister’s kid than mine?
PHOEBE: At least a child of my sister’s would be blood to me! But
this – ! Ah, thou hast betrayed me!
Nicholas is Phoebe’s only child. She doesn’t exactly let go of
grudges.
*See Already in Progress, Chapter 55, available on my Dreamwidth.

8. The fourth of Old Adam’s daughters is Rose. Old Adam arranged
her marriage, which in spite of initial misgivings* turned out to be
a happy – and fertile – one. Rose and her husband Dmitri have four
children, all boys: Alexander, Ivan, Mikhail (called “Mickey”), and
Anton. Alexander recently graduated Uni, and Anton just learned
how to go potty.
*See (Not) Heiress Rose, available on my Dreamwidth.

9. When they were both Teenagers, Deadeye fell hard for Nicholas’
sister Draupadi. They went steady all through high school.

10. Which brings us to the beginning of our story: The
Undergraduates, or, The True Shankel!
Enjoy!

11. Unsurprisingly, as soon as Draupadi and Deadeye got to Uni, they
rekindled their romance.

12. In fact, as soon as they could manage it, they moved into an off-
campus rental.
Nanki-Poo came along, partly to help with the bills and partly
because the state of the dorms drove him absolutely nuts.
(Nanki-Poo has ten Neat points and zero Nice points. This is not
the best combination for dorm living. Can you believe that nobody
else there ironed their underwear?! And that they laughed at him
for having standards?!)

13. The problem, of course, with two very much in love young adults
who have their own place – or, well, almost their own place,
practically their own place – is that sometimes it can get a bit loud.
Especially in the small and poorly-insulated properties that are
generally on the market as student rentals.

14. So I don’t suppose it’s any surprise that Nanki-Poo did most of his
studying at the library.
TISHA: Hey, aren’t you in my math class? With Professor Mazza?
NANKI-POO (looks up): Oh yeah, I think I’ve seen you. You
usually sit off to the side, right?
TISHA: Yes. Um, did you get the part in the homework for
Thursday? About the fractionals?
NANKI-POO: Yeah, that was easy. Did you need help with it?
TISHA (with relief): Yes, please. If you wouldn’t mind.
NANKI-POO: Have a seat. I’m Nanki-Poo, by the way.

15. TISHA: I’m Ka – Tisha.
NANKI-POO: KaTisha?
TISHA: No, just Tisha. I recently changed it.
NANKI-POO: Oh? From what?
TISHA (tensing): Karl.
NANKI-POO (nodding approvingly): Rock and roll. So –
TISHA: Er – “rock and roll”?
NANKI-POO: Well, yeah. Saying “You can take your cisnormative
male privilege censor blur and shove it”? Very rock and roll. So
which part of the assignment is giving you trouble?

16. NANKI-POO: Hey, before you go – do you want to get coffee
sometime? Or dinner?
TISHA: Really?
NANKI-POO: Well, yeah. You’re smart, you’re pretty, and you’re
rock ‘n’ roll enough to buck the establishment. That ticks, like, all
of my boxes. Or almost all of them. (hopefully) Do you iron your
underwear?
TISHA: Er – no?
NANKI-POO: (sigh) Oh well, can’t win ‘em all. (brightening) So
do you want to do dinner then? When is good for you?

17. So Nanki-Poo and Tisha went out to dinner. Multiple times.
They had study sessions together.
Real, actual, academic study sessions. Get your mind out of the
gutter.

18. They even went to get Nanki-Poo’s first three tattoos together.

19. And if Deadeye and Draupadi were more established as a couple,
well, that didn’t mean that things weren’t still moving along with
them.
DEADEYE: Draupadi, I know it’s kind of su–
DRAUPADI: Yes!
DEADEYE: –dden, but I thought maybe we could, that is, maybe –
DRAUPADI: Yes!
DEADEYE: – we could think about maybe getting enga –
DRAUPADI: YES! Yes! Of course yes! Stop talking and kiss me,
you idiot!

20. Which Nanki-Poo found inspiring.
TISHA: You want to get married? To me?
NANKI-POO: Yeah. That’s kinda why I asked. We can have two point five kids – okay, call it
three – and a dog and a minivan and a white picket fence.
TISHA: That’s not very rock and roll, is it?
NANKI-POO: Forty percent of couples just live together, and forty to fifty percent of all
marriages end in divorce. So if you get married and stay married, you’re actually defying the
prevailing social norms, which is very rock and roll. (thoughtfully) The minivan can be purple
with flames painted on it.
TISHA: Wow. Okay.
NANKI-POO: That’s a yes?
TISHA: That’s a yes.
NANKI-POO: Rock and roll.

21. Unfortunately, the engagement announcements did not go over as
well as might be hoped.
OLD ADAM: You can’t marry her. I promised your father that you
would marry a true Shankel, one of your aunts’ children. Preferably
Leila’s, but she has none.
DEADEYE: Draupadi is Aunt Phoebe and Uncle Chant’s daughter.
OLD ADAM: She is not. She is your Uncle Chant’s daughter, but
none of your Aunt Phoebe. Plantsims reproduce asexually, and your
Uncle Chant cured his daughter at the request of your cousin
Nicholas, that they might age together. She is no more a true
Shankel than you are.

22. OLD ADAM: Now, Nicholas is a very nice boy, or your Aunt Rose
has several to chose from. Alexander is nearest your age –
DEADEYE: My autonomous gender preference is for females!
OLD ADAM: Well, then, perhaps –
NANKI-POO: So is mine, Grandpoppa. Don’t even think about it.
(as Old Adam opens his mouth) And don’t try to tell me from
genetics. That’s bigoted.
(Old Adam closes his mouth again)

23. Right about this time is when Leila consulted a fertility specialist.
LEILA: She said. Um, she said. (deep breath, then, rapidly) She
said that I shouldn't have any problem having babies because I've
already had one.
ABHIJEET (blankly): What, when you were in college? Why didn't
you tell me? It's not a dealbreaker.
LEILA: No, I don't remember being pregnant. I remember college,
but I'm certain I wasn't pregnant then. I never even kissed anyone
before you. Before I... died, did we, um...?
So Leila and Abhijeet began investigations.

24. SOCIAL WORKER (V.O.): Why, yes. There were two Toddlers in
the house, and we took them to stay with your sister briefly until we
could get hold of the Wheelers to come take them.
ABHIJEET (V.O.): The Wheelers?
SOCIAL WORKER (V.O.): Professor Douglas Wheeler and his
wife Catherynne. They have done foster-to-adoption for three
unfortunate children, including those two.
LEILA (V.O.): But why my sister?
SOCIAL WORKER (V.O.): Well, we couldn’t leave them there
with a man in a gorilla suit and a woman who thought she was a
robot, now, could we? It was only for an hour or two.

25. So Old Adam called a family meeting.
OLD ADAM: Some years ago, I arranged a betrothal between
Glen’s child and Leila’s oldest child, whoever that might be. Now,
Glen actually had two children, with Deadeye the oldest. (gestures
at Deadeye) And, as it turns out, Leila has had two children as well,
although she does not remember this. (gestures at Trudy and Paul)
It was a fine piece of detective work on her part that led us to them.
I am willing to be flexible about precisely who marries whom, if
those involved can come to an agreement…?

26. DEADEYE: But I want to marry Draupadi!
OLD ADAM: Who is ineligible. (conciliatorily) If you like, I
would accept a match with Nicholas.

27. NICHOLAS: I’m going to marry Vyn. (stares at her intently) She
wants to marry me.
VYN: Oh, are you now. And stop with that mind-control crap.

28. NANKI-POO: And I’m going to marry Tisha. I don’t do arranged
marriages. (as Tisha shifts uncomfortably) You stay there. We don’t
have to do this.
OLD ADAM: Nonsense!

29. PAUL (pleadingly): But I don’t want to marry either of them!
(hurriedly, to Deadeye and Nanki-Poo) I mean, I’m sure you’re
perfectly nice guys, but my autonomous gender preference is for
females. And anyway, I have a fiancée myself.
NANKI-POO: We all do, man. We are brothers in misfortune!

30. OLD ADAM: This is ridiculous! I have never been wrong in
making my matches before, and I am quite sure that I am not wrong
now! We will just have Chant tell us who the elder of the two is,
and the two eldest will marry each other!
DEADEYE: But Grandpoppa –
OLD ADAM: SILENCE! Chant, if you would be so kind?
CHANT: Sure, okay. (points) That one.

32. OLD ADAM: Er, that is your daughter, sir.
CHANT: No it isn’t.
PHOEBE: Darest thou lie, e’en now?! This is no time for jests!
CHANT: I’m not lying! (takes a deep breath) Look, you said you
didn’t want to raise my daughter. You said you’d raise your sister’s
kid over mine. So fine, I got you your sister’s kid and gave mine
away. And you were still nasty to her! I do not get you sometimes!
PHOEBE: But… why didst thou not tell me?
CHANT: I told you to be nicer to her. Repeatedly.

33. PHOEBE: But thou didst not tell me that this was my sister’s child,
not thine!
CHANT: What, are you blind or something? Just look at them!
They have completely different coloring, for a start! Esme, did you
really pay that little attention to my daughter?

34. TRUDY: It’s true, you know. I remember.
PAUL: You can’t remember that far back. And why didn’t you say,
if you did?
TRUDY: Plantbabies come into the world with all their parent’s
skills, including remembering. And I never said because I like you
better than Nicholas. He’s kind of a jerk.
NICHOLAS: Takes one to know one.
(Trudy and Nicholas stick out their tongues at each other, in
harmonious mutual annoyance.)

35. DEADEYE (slightly hesitantly): So I can marry Draupadi, after all.
OLD ADAM: Of course! She is your promised bride!

36. NANKI-POO: And I’m marrying Tisha, just like I was always
going to do anyway.
OLD ADAM: And I wish you both very happy, my boy!
PAUL: And I can marry Georgiana and be on TV?*
OLD ADAM: I cannot fathom why television would be part of your
life goals, but if it makes you happy, then certainly!
*See 100 Days of Awesome, available at my Dreamwidth.

37. GLEN (softly, to Lisa): I haven’t actually been worried about that
since the third trimester, you know. This whole mess could have
been avoided if your dad had just talked to me.
LISA (softly, to Glen): Well, don’t tell him that. He gets such a thrill
out of matchmaking.
OLD ADAM: We shall have a dance party to celebrate!

38. Nicholas’ home story is Already in Progress, and that is where he
will stay. Whether Vyn will actually agree to marry him is still up in
the air.

39. Paul and Georgiana can be found in Georgiana’s home story of 100
Days of Awesome.

40. Nanki-Poo and Tisha will move on to a new challenge, tentatively
titled Restoring Marge. It’s a Messie Messlot challenge, which
might have been tailor-made for Nanki-Poo.

41. Deadeye and Draupadi will likely be taken out of the rotation to
permanently run an owned, nautical-themed, seafood restaurant and
bar, to be called the Kind Captain. But I reserve the right to change
my mind about that at any time and to pop them into Already in
Progress, or even to think up a whole new challenge for them.
If I feel like it.

42. Glen and Lisa will be folded into Already in Progress until such
time as their life bars run out, as happens eventually to all sims. I
will make sure they are happy, and please feel free to visit them
there.

43. Leila and Abhijeet have been folded into Already in Progress for
some time now, and there they will stay. I will finally allow them to
develop the relationships with Draupadi and Paul that they have
been autonomously trying to develop for years.

44. While our two Family sims are slightly disappointed that they will
not be getting a new son-in-law just yet, they remain optimistic.
You can follow them in Already in Progress if you are so inclined.

45. Old Adam will be folded into Already in Progress along with Lisa
and Glen. In the fullness of time, even his lifebar will run out – but
not before he has made and activated at least one servo.
Trudy will be starting her own Harvest Moon challenge. I have not
yet decided if it will be its own story or if it will just be part of
Already in Progress. Either way, it will be available at my
Dreamwidth.

46. And that is the last Official chapter of Ruth’s (un)Officially Wacky
Boolprop Challenge! I hope you enjoyed the story, and I hope you
will join the family on their new endeavors.
Until next time, Happy Simming!