Chapter 41c: Marle: Opzoek voor Pret in Pretland

Marle regrets splitting up with her little brother now that there's no one who'd help her curb her boredom… She'd need something to try to make her have fun, or get a laugh at the very least.

Maybe she should make someone trip and catch them before they hit the ground.

… 'No, bad Marle! You'll regret that later… Pranking people is funny though, and I need a laugh… But people don't like to be pranked and won't they won't like me if I do it… But do I care?'

Marle thought about it.

She came to a conclusion. 'You'll regret it later, Marle! You always do… Just gotta find something to entertain yourself with.'

In time Marle found the Rec Room, she saw a cabinet full of board and card games. Maybe she could finally bother to learn Solitaire or find some strangers to play board games with.

Or she could play with her phone but the big games on that thing… "Nah." 'They're not very fun...'

Marle entered the room and scanned the games the school had. 'Now Marle, ask yourself, what game is the most fun?' "Boring. Unfun. Maybe. Boring. Not feeling any of these… Maybe I should watch a show I don't care about to pass the time…"

"Why, Marle?" Marle jumped at the voice to her left at the Rec Room's entrance. It was a blonde girl with glasses who looked absolutely bored. That can be used to describe Marle as well, but this girl looked contently bored instead of frustratedly bored. "Why watch a show you don't like?" The girl with glasses and a blue sweater took a seat at the table and rummaged through her shoulder bag.

"Because I can't enjoy the ones I like with this personality." She spoke softly.

"Ah. Oh. And welcome to this school." Marle was surprised at the friendly greeting, even if it's fairly monotone. "I'm your classmate. My name is Marvett." A bunny spirit popped out of Marvett. "And this Mr. Rabbisuke." The bunny nodded hello.

"Oh!" Marle found that so cool. And more importantly found it exciting, it's an emotion she wants to milk. "You're possessed! Neat." The girl got up close to Rabbie. "I've never met a possessed girl before. What's it like?" She asked the bunny spirit.

Marvett raised an eyebrow, Rabbie just enjoyed the attempted head pats he was receiving that all went through him. "I can see through four eyes and I always have a second opinion on hand." 'For better or worse.' The bunny-possessed girl prepared her tablet and stylus on the table.

"Oh, so you're you, and the bunny is someone else." Marle put her knuckles on her hips and bent over forward a bit. With a smile that didn't really go with her bored-looking eyes. "Still cool, Marvett~"

"It has its benefits." Rabbisuke prepared everything while they were talking. Marvett started writing.

"I'd kill to get your quirk, mine's very unfun." Marle sat down on a chair backwards. "Are you drawing?"

"We're writing. We're trying to be writers." Marvett said, trying to figure out how to proceed in her story.

"Ah… Should've brought my tablet so I could draw something fun." Marle sighed.

"They got canvases upstairs." The writer said neutrally.

"What. Don't want the new girl around?" The blonde painter snapped.

Marvett was caught off-guard. "What?! I didn't say that." She said on the defensive. "We just said if you wanna paint, you can ask Ms. Accord."

"Eh, I don't feel like retracing my steps to that room." The beret-wearing girl put her head sideways on the table facing away from Marvett and to the cabinet full of games. She lifted her head up, turned it, and put it back on the table facing the other way. "You and your bunny wanna play Go Fish?"

"Huh? Oh. Hm…" Marvett and Rabbie thought it over. Both had the understanding that they're not going anywhere with their story. "Yeah, sure. Let's play until our friends arrive. Most cards until then wins."

"Fun!" She said as a substitute for cool. She picked up a deck of cards. "You against me against your bunny." Marle said pumped to try and have some fun.

"Nah."

"…What do you mean "nah"?"

"If all three of us played, I would see Rabbie's hands, and Rabbie would see mine. We can't play any card games against each other."

"Oh. I'm disappointed. But that's all some neat stuff. I'm still game. Let's play."

A few moments later…

It was Marle's turn. "Do you have the Queen of Spades?"

"Yeah." Marvett neutrally handed it over.

"Sweet." She said as if she heard the news that her wisdom teeth needed to be pulled. She had her first set of cards. With her taking the lead.

Marvett took note of her opponent's tone and expression. She looked a little angry. "You don't sound like you're having fun." Rabbie nodded.

"Gee, what makes you say that?" Marle voiced sarcastically.

Marvett had noticed the sarcastic tone, but decided to answer earnestly anyway. "Usually card games at this school are very anime. You don't seem to be into it."

"I'm sorry for the sarcasm there, and my attitude in general."

If Marvett had some liquids in her mouth, this is where she'd barely suppress a spit take. Marle's voice and demeanor changed.

It wasn't literally a different voice, but it was as if someone else was using it. Before her voice was lifeless and lacking joy, at worst it was creepy or even angry. Now, even with that sheepish tone it was more youthful and alive.

"Did your persona-"

"Yes!" Marle cut Marvett off. "Please don't bring it up." She nicely pleaded. Before, back in the auditorium, it sounded like a command. Here it was a request.

Marle
Fun Now

"Again, I'm sorry. It's easier to admit with this… um… personality. Please don't take anything unfun me says to heart."

"I won't." Marvett promised.

"You're so nice, Marvett. Bunny too~ Can we please be friends?" She leaned over the table. "I've been trying to ask that for a few minutes now but now I can."

Marvett and Rabbie nodded. "Sure."

"Yay~" Marle cheered with her hands in the air and a big smile.

This Marle sure was a different beast. That smile was genuine unlike the forced ones from before. She's all giggly now, Marle before was a stormy girl, but now she's a very sunny one. Marvett's a bit envious of her like this.

"C'mon, let's make this the funnest game of Go Fish!" She said a bit hyper. Marvett couldn't say no to someone so eager to play a card game.

After a few more minutes of play

"Yay~ Another quartet!" Marle cheered. The score is now 1-2. "So fun~"

Rabbisuke admired her sportsmanship.

"So I got a question about this school."

"Shoot."

"Isn't this school weird?"

"A little." Marvett supposed. She's been here for 2 years and going. It's all a little ho-hum for her.

"I like it though. Extra free time to have fun. You got a nice robot in the canteen! How cool is that?"

"Don't you mean fun?" Marvett smirked a little.

"Ooooooo~ Now you're speaking my language, Marvett~" The painter was so happy to have a friend.

"I'm pretty sure we're still speaking German." The wannabe writer observed. Rabbie facepalmed. "Jack of Hearts."

"Go Fish."

"Darn." She said as flat as possible as she drew a card.

The game ended on a score of 2-3 in Marvett's favor due to the arrival of her friends. Marle didn't seem to mind. She was quick to try and make friends with Marle's tabletop RPG playing friends.

Aside from dodging any split personality questions for those who were at the auditorium earlier today (so all of them) were kinda surprised this is the same Marle.

Regardless they resumed their RPG and Marle even took an interest in the world they were playing in. She kinda wanted to bring it to life on a canvas. She showed some pics of her work. They were cool. Impressive. Something to talk about at a later date.

Marle was grateful she stayed in her "Fun" mode the whole way through and not her fun pooper other self. They like her. She asked to please tolerate her in her "Unfun" mood as a safety net. To which they agreed.

Over texts Marle and Squares decided to meet up at the exit. Squares was there first, he kept his eye out for his big sister and any unrightly sight that may happen. The former happened first. Squares saw his sister affectionately run up to him. It made him smile.

"Hi, bro~" Her voice confirmed to him she's made a switch. She hugged him.

"I managed to have fun. How was your day?"

"…" Squares didn't wanna be a downer. "I had a day here."

Authors' Notes:

HUSK: Pretland is the Country this series takes place in btw. A reminder. Thought the Pret in that stands for Pretzels.