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[Embers]

Three days. It had been three days since he had arrived here, and he hated it. It had been raining nonstop as if the sky was crying because he was here. It’s not liked he wished he was home he didn’t really like home either his parents would just fuss and be all disappointed that he didn’t make it here. He had been sitting in the “fun” room for the past four hours. Some fun it was. He just sat with Gandhi and stroked him with his gloved hand. There was nothing of interest for him here he hadn’t even talked to anyone other than to get situated in his dorm room. He only sat here because there was no one around, odd cause it was raining and you’d think that everyone would be inside. Oh well he was getting hungry and it looked like dinner would be over so no one should be in the kitchen. As Marlin got up lightly tossing Gandhi onto his shoulder he heard footsteps coming down the hall. He really wasn’t in the mood for talking to someone, which wasn’t unusual he never was in the mood for anything. So as the footsteps slowed near the door he dashed to the other side of the room hoping to make it back door even if it meant walking in the rain, around to the kitchen door. He was half way across the room and was going to make it, if it wasn’t for the random ping pong ball lying in the middle of the floor. His foot caught it sending him flying back into the foosball table then to the floor.

[Decadence]

The rainy season; it was Isabelle's favorite time of the year. She couldn't understand how anyone wouldn't enjoy the exhilaration of running through the pouring rain, feeling each cold drop of water falling against one's skin, listening to the music that was made as every drop reached the ground. In fact, that was precisely how she had decided to spend her morning that day and the day before that and the day before that day as well.

Once she had reached the point when she figured that if she stayed outside any longer, she was risking pneumonia, she stayed outside for another fifteen minutes and then made her way back to the Institute to dry off and maybe pay a visit to Sparrow, Desi, and/or Matt while she was there.

Upon entering the building (still looking like a drenched rat with her dark curly hair a soaked mess), she attempted to tiptoe through and quietly find her dorm, but it was rather difficult to be silent and stealthy when her wet shoes squeaked more loudly than those of a toddler that were actually supposed to squeak, so she gave into the fact that her shoes would announce her presence to anyone within a twenty foot radius and made her way down each hall. She would have passed right by the relaxation room on her way to the girls' dorms if she hadn't heard a sudden series of crashing noises. Despite having already taken a few steps past the doorway of the relaxation room, Isabelle stopped, took a few steps back, and peered curiously through the doorway, where she then saw Marlin sprawled on the floor under the foosball table.

Since it happened to be a stranger who didn't understand Isabelle's childish sense of humor, she did her best not to laugh and instead settled for a good-natured smile. Raising her hands, she gave a few claps. "I give you a nine point five, but try working on your landing," she joked, stepping into the room and walking over to where the male was.

"You must be new. I'm Isabelle. I'd offer you a hand, but then you would need a towel," she said with a laugh. "Anyway, you okay?"

[Embers]

Scheiße! The person was opening the door, Marlin stayed still; almost hoping the person wouldn’t see him and would just go. Almost of course because hoping was considered optimistic and Marlin was never optimistic. But just as he knew they would, the stranger came in and spotted him in his embarrassing pose under the fosse ball table. She was pretty the stranger. Her dark hair with purple strikes reminded Marlin of the violet his mother had on the windowsill in her room. Then of the time he touched one of them and killed the whole plant. His mother was nearly in tears. The girl began to clap , bringing him from the depressing memory, she gave him a 9.5. He wasn’t sure what she meant, he still couldn’t understand much English, but he still got the point that she was mocking him. She said her name was Isabelle Marlin caught that, and something about a towel, but that was it. I needed to compose himself, he thought, even if it wasn’t worth trying I need to get off the floor.


Pushing himself up he managed to hit his head on the fosse ball table and stumble before he was back on his feet. He definitely didn’t feel composed, but he tried to brush it off and went to greet the stranger. “Ello my name is Marlin.” He went to extend his hand, as a greeting, but at that moment Ghandi climbed up his leg across his out reached arm and threw himself at the Isabelle like a hissing fury. “Ghandi nien!” He should have thought that everything that could have gone wrong would have. But for the moment in the presents of the beautiful girl Marlin could help himself, she seemed so positive and he couldn’t help but at least ignore his depressing out look. Still no outlook, positive or negative could stop Ghandi’s fuzzy body from flying into Isabelle. Marlin reached out to stop him grabbing at his tail as it left his hand. In his desperate grasp he lost his balance sending himself after his vicious pet into Isabelle.