[MARINN is sitting on the edge of his bed in his dorm. The walls are a dark green, all furniture wooden, and made out of a dark oak. The only light in the room seems to be from a simple lamp in the corner. His living spaces have always been a bit dark- both before and during the killing game. Perhaps he’s able to distance how horrible those places have been by focusing on the art he’s been able to create within the walls. Or perhaps he just doesn’t want to step outside his comfort zone.]
[He holds his puppet in his hands. She was originally placed in a little glass box for protection, but considering he just had a match, a random visit from an antagonistic presence doesn’t seem likely. So now he just softly brushes the wood grain on her face, a common way for him to calm down, while thinking. About what he had just seen in that vision the Jellyfish gave him, and perhaps more importantly- what he didn’t.]
[His peace is interrupted however, with a knock on his door. He jumps at the sound, quickly putting Meine Freunde back in the safety of her case, before reaching the door, and opening it just a crack.]
[On the other side is DOROTHY GALE.]
[DOROTHY]: Marinn. We need to talk.
[MARINN]: Are-are you sure? I don’t really- I just finished the- competition with the bug and the computer, I-
[DOROTHY]: It won’t turn into anything like that. I just think… you may have been on to something.
[MARINN gains an inquisitive look, opening the door enough for her to slip in.]
[DOROTHY]: Remember, back when we first met, you said something about- your whole past, and how… this whole thing sounded familiar? Dorms, a competition, talented individuals?
[MARINN]: Yeah, sort of…
[DOROTHY]: Well, I’m starting to think there’s something deeper going on here. I don’t know if it goes as deep as what you were in, but… there’s just… too many things to call it a coincidence.
[MARINN]: …What are you saying?
[DOROTHY]: Just- Look at what we’ve been doing for the past however long. They throw us together in a “competition” we don’t know the rules for, random victories and losses happen when we go as far as to simply argue, and… they show a very clear lack of respect to us.
[DOROTHY]: Pushing us into situations they know we’ll hate. I’ve talked to you about the witch before, and I’ve talked to them about it. And yet, there she appears, as violent and as manipulative as ever. Even you had the- dragon girl show up, I can’t imagine you were happy to see her.
[MARINN]: That’s t-true, but…
[DOROTHY]: It honestly almost feels like they want us to be unhappy, to hate this place… to make us uncomfortable. But why?
[MARINN]: I don’t- I don’t know about that…
[DOROTHY]: That’s why we need to find some hard evidence as to what they’re actually doing here. Anything concrete. I’d be willing to wager that backroom area has at least something for us, and if we find something damning enough… we might be able to get them to shut this stupid thing down and finally send us home. We just need to find a way to sneak in and...
[As DOROTHY mentions home, MARINN freezes up. He remembers the vision clearly. An event, a thought that he felt in the moment that he shouldn’t feel, because that’s not him… it occurred there. Back home.]
[MARINN]: Dorothy, I- um. I know this place hasn’t been the best, but frankly, it’s been literally the most comforting place I’ve lived since I was with my father. Sure, it's lonely, and cramped, and I have to watch what I say in case I cause another fight to start up, but... I’ve had to deal with that m-my whole life so far. And- well, here, at least, I’m not going to be killed or… attacked.
[MARINN]: I’m s-sorry Dorothy, but I just… don’t think I can help you with this.
[She stares at MARINN. At first almost angry, but… she takes a deep breath, and insteads finds a face of disappointed understanding.]
[DOROTHY]: …Fine. I guess I’ll just do it myself.
[She shakes her head, turning to look at MARINN one last time before exiting. The puppeteer just silently watches her leave.]