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Aliens Stole My Alien Parents

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  • luciusstormluciusstorm Posts: 1,552 Member
    @mightysprite, Mara continues to impress me... and I still have hope for her and Cassandra. Great story and I'm glad you're sticking with it even if the scenario thing didn't work as expected.
    Fate is a riddle and we choose our own answer. Wyrd Girls
  • mightyspritemightysprite Posts: 5,806 Member
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  • NRoweNRowe Posts: 7,877 Member
    Wow. That was a LOT of happenings. B)
    Can’t wait to see what comes next
  • mightyspritemightysprite Posts: 5,806 Member
    Thanks @NRowe :)
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  • mightyspritemightysprite Posts: 5,806 Member
    Day 13

    Oliver will never be the social or entrepreneurial creature that Mara is, but fortunately, he likes the homey skills. He actually enjoys fixing things that break. And making food for the people he cares about.
    He had that staring-into-nothing look that they get sometimes, right before they put earwax in the salad
    OLIVER NO
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    He did not. Phew.

    Oliver also likes programming and spent much of Saturday writing random little programs just for fun
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    Meanwhile, Mara did what she most enjoyed.

    Someone had sent them a dresser as congratulations for the fun party. Weird, but that was a nice gesture. Even nicer when Mara discovered she could sell the dresser for over 600 simoleons! That was a very interesting development indeed. Hmm... it had cost 100 to throw the party plus about 20 for the food... Mara's brain was very busy as she headed over to Thriftea to put together this week's killer outfits.

    Despite her trouble selling Green Academic, she was confident enough in her skills that she decided to put together several outfits today and make a good profit. At the top of the list, of course, was tonight's winter formal outfit. Here's Ice Princess.
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    Mara chatted with the shop owner Eloise about her business, and about current trends. Eloise said there seemed to be a hipster trend on the rise. Hipster wasn't really Mara's style, but maybe she could create things that others would enjoy anyway. She made a sweater-and-hat hipster outfit. And a romper outfit just for fun.
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    "Darling, what's the matter? Fashion talk not your thing?" whispered Mara.
    "Eloise is just kind of a close talker and it's making me nervous!" Darling giggled.
    "She was close-talking to me, not you, silly," said Mara.
    "It doesn't matter," said Darling.
    07-eloise-close-talker.png

    Cassandra came by and sought Mara out.
    "I was hoping I'd find you here. I'm sorry about last night. I realize I acted kind of crazy."
    "I didn't mean to--" Mara began.
    "I know you didn't! I've just-- I've been feeling so low and there are things I need to tell you about."
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    "Maybe you feel so low because of how you're sitting in that chair!" Mara giggled.
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    Cassandra sat up very straight.
    "Get it? Low?" Mara giggled.
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    Cassandra did not giggle.
    "I think I'll give you two some space," said Eloise.
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    "I was just trying to cheer you up," Mara said.
    "I know. I'll... I'll see you tonight at the dance," Cassandra said, and left.

    Kaori came in. Mara felt a pang of jealousy, remembering how Kaori and Rohan had been talking close together by the door at the party. Kaori was so pretty. And quiet, and serious. Maybe more Rohan's type. And... not a crazy alien. Maybe she won't see me-- Oh, eye contact. Great. Well, here we go.

    "Uh, hi Kaori," said Mara.
    "Hi. Great party last night," Kaori offered.
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    They stood there looking at each other in silence for a few moments.
    "So... how do you know Rohan?" Mara asked. Wow, that was creepy, she thought to herself.
    Kaori smiled. "We've gone to school together since we were kids. We don't hang out a lot, but he knew about my grandparents and he was really kind to me last night. I guess he understands because he's going through the same thing."
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    "Your grandparents?"
    "Yes, they both passed away last week."
    That's what all that was about! That's great! "That's terrible, Kaori. I'm so sorry."
    "Thanks. It's been really lonely. You and Rohan are lucky to have each other. I'm sure you've been a great comfort to him."
    "Can no one in this store talk without touching each other?!" Darling exclaimed.
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    You've been a great comfort to him. Mara felt bad. She'd had no idea that anything was going on with Rohan's grandparents. She didn't know much about Rohan's family at all, come to think of it. When they hung out, she basked in his attention and the flirty energy between them. They talked about school and friends and stuff, but had she ever asked him about his family?

    At winter formal, Mara arrived with Oliver in tow. She wanted to give him a good start in high school socializing. She looked around for her date and her best friend.
    Who were having a consoling conversation in the bathroom.
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    When they came out, Mara asked him all about it.
    He shared that his grandfather had died a few days ago, and his grandmother just yesterday. Now it was just him.
    Mara felt guilty and awkward, but she did her best to make him feel that he wasn't alone.
    Oliver stood by the wall and pretended to be interested in the potted plants.
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    Rohan, feeling grateful and tender, gave Mara an unusual public display of affection
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    Oliver greeted Sofia by the photo booth. "Uh hi, we met last night at the party? Your sister plays chess well..."
    Sofia looked confused.
    14-formal-awkward-photo-booth.png

    Cassandra and Mara danced.
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    "Do you remember what I said before you ran off last night?"
    "That you'd always have my back?"
    "I meant it. No matter what's going on. I'm... I'm always thinking about whether you're okay." A lot more than I'm thinking about whether Rohan is okay, apparently, she added to herself.
    "Mara? You have to stay away from Kiyoshi."
    "I'd never come between you two."
    "That's not it, exactly."
    "What is it then?"
    Cassandra hugged her. "Another time. Let's just dance."
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    And it was time for an announcement
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    While dawdling around by the corner, Oliver had cast a vote and apparently he wasn't the only one!
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    Who's the Queen of the Winter??
    "Yeah Mara!" yelled Cassandra.
    "Your Majesty!" yelled Rohan.
    "This is so lame," said Wolfgang.
    "That's my sister," explained Oliver.
    "I know," said Sofia.
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    "Why so blue?" Rohan asked.
    "I'm feeling bad that I didn't talk to you about your grandparents sooner," said Mara. "Want to hang out at your house later? Watch the New Year's countdown?"
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    "Don't you want to go out with your friends?"
    "Maybe let's have a quiet after-party this time. Just us."
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    So they had their own quiet get-together at Rohan's. They started with a moment of remembrance.
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    They watched the countdown.
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    and shared a New Year's kiss
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    and shared a toast
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    and shared a long talk
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    and a lot of long goodbye-ing in the snow.
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    He was so easy to be with. So caring. He was sad about his grandparents of course, but he handled it with grace. He hadn't wanted to make his sadness Mara's problem but he was ready to share once she asked. She resolved to be better at asking, and better at listening. He deserved it.
    She could tell every time he looked at her, how much he treasured her.
    She felt calm with him in a way that she never felt calm normally.
    This felt like the next step.
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  • luciusstormluciusstorm Posts: 1,552 Member
    @mightysprite... interesting. Very interesting. I'm curious what kind of teen Oliver will be.
    Fate is a riddle and we choose our own answer. Wyrd Girls
  • DaniRose2143DaniRose2143 Posts: 8,659 Member
    @mightysprite
    Oh no, Mara! I feel like Cassandra was so close to showing her feelings for Mara. She just lacked that little nudge from her heart to speak up. I trust it will end well, but I’m afraid it’s going to be rough going for a bit first.
  • HermioneSimsHermioneSims Posts: 774 Member
    Hi! Just a brief comment to say that I'm still following the story, it's just that most of the times I'm reading the updates from the cellphone when travelling and then I forget about commenting...
    Anyway, Mara is really showing a lot of strength, she has to take care of herself and her brother and navigate the complex world of teen friendships and crushes all at once... She seems to be doing quite well at the end of the last update though, the prom with Rohan was very sweet.

    Also, the "end of the scenario" message was so unexpected also for me! And I agree that Mara and Oliver still have a lot to tell, I'm glad that you're continuing with the updates!
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    You can follow the Legacy Miller from my blog and the forum thread, *Chapter 8.12 posted on the 25th of March 2024*
  • mightyspritemightysprite Posts: 5,806 Member
    Thanks all :)

    @luciusstorm
    Yeah that isn't easy, I feel like he can't be her total opposite even though that's my instinct. I also don't want to use him merely as a problem-solver around the house to allow Mara to never cook or repair. They do have the programming thing in common. I think younger sibling-older sibling dynamics are really interesting, and that they don't get explored enough in literature... not that I think my story is the one to do a great job of that, but it is something I think about, like in the winter formal scene.

    @DaniRose2143 Yep. If they wanted everything to go smooth they should have known better than to show up in one of my stories ;)

    @HermioneSims Aw that's very sweet of you. Thanks. I am happy with enjoyment from whoever enjoys my silly stories whether they comment or not!
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  • mightyspritemightysprite Posts: 5,806 Member
    edited October 2022
    Day 14

    Unable to face the sight of one more lawn, Mara changed jobs to Livestreamer. She spent much of Sunday playing computer games FOR WORK, and trying to hack into the bank again.
    Although if she could more reliably sell outfits on Trendi, the bank thing wouldn't be such a pressing issue.
    Will no one buy this beautiful Green Academic outfit from this very stylish alien?
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    Oliver, having experienced the scene at winter formal, decided to try something different for his next foray into high school social life. He went online and signed up for the chess team.
    Almost immediately, he got a text.
    "Well if it isn't the Alien Baby thinking he can compete with the likes of me."
    From Elsa Bjergsen.

    Naturally, Oliver invited her over for a pre-season match.
    Elsa got mad.
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    Elsa got really mad.
    "Elsa, we haven't even started playing yet," protested Oliver.
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    "Of course! This is just competitive bluster. It's only a game after all," laughed Elsa.
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    "I'm so relieved you feel that way," Oliver said with relief.
    "But I will crush you, Baby Yoda," Elsa insisted. "Let's go."
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    Something about the way she yelled, and then that great big laugh, and then looked at him with challenging fire in her eyes...
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    Aw Oliver. Good luck.

    Meanwhile, Mara hacked.
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    She gained access to an account belonging to her family! Finally!
    It had 25 simoleons in it.
    "Huh," said Mara to herself. "Well, that's something."
    There must be another account somewhere. Mara poked and prodded, and suddenly a warning message popped up
    QUESTIONABLE ACCESS DETECTED, LOGGING OFF.
    PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS OF RECORD FOR A LINK TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD.

    Mara couldn't be bothered to go through that right now. Also, did her dads even have Earth email? They might not have had time to set that up before they were abducted.

    Fortunately, a distraction appeared in Mara's own email. A buyer for Ice Princess, her winter formal outfit from last night!
    It was Geoffrey Landgraab! Again. Geoffrey must really like those formal girls' outfits.
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    Whatever floats your boat, and brings in the simoleons.
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    Elsa left, then came back later for a rematch.
    "I have to give you some credit, Alien Baby. Your game has improved since we were kids."
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    "Now let me see how to crush you this time."
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    Then she actually cackled.
    Oliver tried to anticipate the next few moves but he couldn't stop looking at her.
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  • DaniRose2143DaniRose2143 Posts: 8,659 Member
    @mightysprite
    Hormonal teenage boys are the same all across the universe.😆 Elsa has learned to use this to her advantage. Yay, little sis!
  • mightyspritemightysprite Posts: 5,806 Member
    haha @DaniRose2143 that's great XD
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  • mightyspritemightysprite Posts: 5,806 Member
    Day 15


    On Monday, Mara wore her newly created "Coffee and the Paper" outfit to school. Not her usual style, but she was trying to follow the trends and make an outfit look good in public before selling it. Hipster was supposed to be trendy right now. Unfortunately, as soon as she arrived she noticed there was a new janitor. What happened to her dear friend Mr. Lum?
    "Mr. Lum died over the weekend," someone told her.
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    In a fog, Mara headed to class.
    "We have the same class!" said Oliver.
    Mara didn't say anything.
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    Won't you help out a sad little alien, by possibly buying this outfit?
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    It was hard to focus. Mr. Lum had helped Mara through some of the hardest days of high school.
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    At lunch, Oliver met someone.
    "Hi! Nice muscle suit! Why did I say that?"
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    Oliver didn't have much in the way of muscle, but now that he thought about it, his usual comfortable clothes did show certain things off in certain ways. That was sweet of Kevin to notice. Oliver decided to try to get to know him a little better

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    He learned that Kevin was socially awkward. Well, he had sort of learned that already.

    He also learned that Kevin was really smart and enjoyed chess.
    03-o-kevin-extra.png

    I guess that's all it takes.
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    Aw Oliver. What are you going to do now? Chess practice is going to be mighty distracting.

    Meanwhile, Mara screamed her feelings at the workout machine.
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    Cassandra learned that Mara was having a bad day, and invited her out to the Humor and Hijinks festival.
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    They joined the Pranksters, of course.
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    Ah, that good old "umbrella through the nose" prank!
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    Mara was feeling a lot happier by the end of the evening, but she did still have to go to work. At least work was now livestreaming games. Except, oops
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    What do you think, can Mara talk a good game? (so to speak)
    You bet she can!
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  • DaniRose2143DaniRose2143 Posts: 8,659 Member
    @mightysprite
    Aww. I feel so sad for Mara, and sad with her, that Mr. Lum passed away.💔 I was kind of surprised at how much that hurt to read. I haven't done a lot with the HSY pack since I finished my Baatu remodel. You did such a good job with the writing, combined with the picture, that it had genuine emotional impact. I could feel her shock, her pain, and her sadness. I'll have to come back and read Oliver's part again later. Mara's sadness really did hit me right in the feels.
  • luciusstormluciusstorm Posts: 1,552 Member
    @mightysprite, poor Mr Lum. Very sad. Kind of a friend to try to cheer Mara up. Meanwhile, Oliver seems to be finding his way in the strange world.
    Fate is a riddle and we choose our own answer. Wyrd Girls
  • mightyspritemightysprite Posts: 5,806 Member
    edited October 2022
    Thanks @luciusstorm :)
    @DaniRose2143 aw thanks, she is doing better at bonding with other teens these days, but doesn't have that many caring adults in her life. it hit me hard too when that happened.
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  • mightyspritemightysprite Posts: 5,806 Member
    edited October 2022
    Miniature: Oliver Tries To Hang Out With Girls

    I sent the kids to school on their own on Tuesday, since Mara was about ready for her promotion to an A. She didn't get it that day. Then they had chess team and work, so not much actually happened in active gameplay. Oliver had a sort of funny experience after school though. Here it is

    Apparently, you don't play chess much at chess team, which is a rabbithole. (Now, why is that? They went to the trouble of building a high school with areas for all the activities, they created the football and cheerleading actions which didn't exist before, but... you can't just stay at school for a club event where you do those activities?)
    Instead, you have to play chess on your own outside of school hours. Oliver doesn't mind.

    Today he learned that Elsa is an Overachiever in addition to being a Genius. Big surprise there.
    Today Elsa learned how to make Oliver sweat.
    No, not like that.
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    Elsa's beautiful older sister Sofia came over. Oliver has a crush on Elsa, not Sofia, but he just forgets how to talk when Sofia is around.
    "Hi Oliver. Is Mara home?"
    "Uh"
    "Hang on, I'll text her. ... Oh okay, she's at work but she'll be home in a little bit. Can I come in and wait?"
    "Uh"
    Sofia let herself in, wrinkling her pretty nose a bit.

    Oh no...
    Oliver did a sniff check. (He thinks he's being subtle about it.) Two teen girls are here and I smell terrible! What do I do?
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    Knock knock
    Oh, great

    Yep, Cassandra came over too.
    Three teen girls are here and I smell terrible...
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    "Hey, Green Lantern. You're glowing."
    "I guess I'm happy."
    "Happy or smelly? Or maybe both."
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    But there was a sweeter smile on her face than usual.
    Oliver excused himself to go take a bath, leaving the girls to entertain one another.


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  • DaniRose2143DaniRose2143 Posts: 8,659 Member
    @mightysprite Maybe alien teen male sweat has a certain muskiness that drives teenage earth women crazy…or Elsa just loves Oliver.😍 It’s definitely the second one.

    Just be yourself Oliver and everything will be ok.❤️
  • mightyspritemightysprite Posts: 5,806 Member
    @DaniRose2143 Haha! Maybe that's what brought all the girls to the yard after all!
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  • DaniRose2143DaniRose2143 Posts: 8,659 Member
    @DaniRose2143 Haha! Maybe that's what brought all the girls to the yard after all!

    Maybe he has a secret love weapon and doesn’t know it.😁
  • luciusstormluciusstorm Posts: 1,552 Member
    @mightysprite... oh poor Oliver, he is so wonderfully clueless.
    Fate is a riddle and we choose our own answer. Wyrd Girls
  • RamblineRoseRamblineRose Posts: 814 Member
    @mightysprite I am so glad you continued this story and it has the makings of a legacy. I am book marking this to continue following, I cannot wait to read more.
  • mightyspritemightysprite Posts: 5,806 Member
  • mightyspritemightysprite Posts: 5,806 Member
    Day 17

    Wednesday I sent the kids to school alone again.
    This time, Mara was successful!
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    Cassandra came over. Mara shared how totally focused on her studies she is now. She's getting As, she's graduating soon, maybe she'll get a good job, maybe she'll find her dads one day... Of course, it still would be totally fun to pull a few more pranks before she grows up, like summoning the urban myth once or twice, or messing around in the cuddle carts--
    03-leaving-m-and-c-to-bond.png

    Mara suddenly noticed Cassandra's startled, slightly sad expression...

    Meanwhile, Oliver went for a jog. When he came home, he came home to this
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    Yep. Kevin was standing there, perfectly still, arms at his sides. He probably hadn't knocked or else Mara would have heard him.

    "Hi Kevin," said Oliver.
    "Want to play chess?" asked Kevin eagerly, without using his arms at all. It didn't seem like a question one would need to use one's arms to ask, but when you thought about it, asking it with your arms glued to your sides was a little... awkward.

    Kevin showed Oliver the pieces. "This is a pawn, and this is a knight--"
    06-showed-him-pieces.png

    He caught Oliver's eye. "Oh yeah, of course, I guess you know them already--"
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    Oliver found all this utterly adorable.
    "It's really okay, Kevin. You don't have to apologize for anything. Let's just play."
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    Apparently this was not the response Kevin usually received from his peers.
    "Thank you for understanding me!" he burst out.
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    "Everyone's awkward sometimes! How about playing some chess??"
    So they did. Looks like Oliver made a big impression on Kevin. Aw.
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    Meanwhile, Mara livestreamed...
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    As she played she kept thinking about the other night when she'd hacked into the bank. Her attempts had prompted an automatic lockout and email from the bank to her dads. She had no idea where to look for an Earth email account belonging to her dads, if they'd even had time to set one up. But on the bank's side, perhaps the sending of the email left some kind of digital trace. The automatic emails themselves would be encrypted, but was there any way to see a record of when emails had been sent to a given customer? Or even better, the address? What if her dads had set up email after all? Maybe she could hack in there, and find out some more clues about their disappearance.

    After she got done with her livestream, she poked into the bank's email timestamps.
    Aha, there was the one from when she had hacked in the other night! The timestamp was right, and the IP address was right.
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    But the destination email address was listed as the bank's own customer service. Which is what happened when the bank didn't have an address on file. Again, Mara felt far away from her dads.

    What's this though--
    There were a few other emails generated recently. Mara had only hacked in the one time.
    Was someone else hacking in?
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    Mara followed the IP address that had generated the other automatic emails. They were all the same. They belonged to a company called "Moonshot Logistics."
    It was something to go on, at least.
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    But for tonight, Mara had to stop. A very urgent message popped up on her phone
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    Yes! Thank you, Cassandra's mom! Does this mean you're coming around?
    Either way, it was nice to have that outfit gone, and a few more simoleons in hand
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    And there was another message. Immediately after the Bella Goth one. From an investor! Who had messaged her, interested in her quirky fashion sense, and wanted to know what her future plans were.
    Mara called back right away. The investor wished to remain anonymous, but she had many questions, some of which really made Mara think hard about what exactly she'd like to do next.
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    They talked for a long time. Mara felt that her eyes were being opened to the possibilities, and also the hard work, involved in running her own business. It seemed exciting. A lot more exciting than college, frankly.
    In the end the investor decided to give her a very small stipend to help her on her way.
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    "Wow! A small stipend! I'm really on my way!" exclaimed Mara to the empty front yard. Then she realized she wasn't feeling very well.

    Meanwhile, Oliver slept in the bath.
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  • GlacierSnowGlacierSnow Posts: 2,301 Member
    I just noticed the link in your signature and had to come check it out. I love this story! Every chapter I'm wondering "what will Mara do next?" :joy: Oliver is a lot of fun too. I love how he's getting multiple crushes. Definitely bookmarking this one. :love:
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    Seventeen & Maldusk Forum thread link
    My name on AHQ (and the upcoming sims forum) is "GlacierSnowGhost".
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