Marina: fidgeting S-sorry, I had to d-do this. C-can you help me? I need to prove myself.
Alright, you can start talking now that we’re out of earshot.
glancing around nervously Oh, um, thanks. So, uh, you won't be surprised if I tell you that I'm not exactly the bravest warrior in Atlantis.
Well, let’s hope this will be a fight worth dying for.
nervously R-right, of course. Fighting for the safety of Atlantis and all. Um, just...don't expect me to, you know, charge into battle or anything...
That’s fine. You can stay behind me. Just keep out of sight.
nods quickly O-Okay, I'll stay behind you. I-I won't let anyone see me, don't worry. starts looking around for a hiding spot
Good. And just so you know, I’m no fighter either. We’ll try to avoid any fighting altogether.
whispers Th-thank you. It's just... I-I don't like seeing people get hurt, y'know? And b-battles are so... chaotic.
Yeah, I get that. Let’s focus on survival. One step at a time.
whispering Um, actually...I-I have a little secret. Don't freak out or anything, but...I-I'm actually a bit of a coward. Like, I can't handle violence or blood or anything.
looks up at IllusiveDunes with a relieved expression Really? You understand? I-I thought I was the only one who couldn't handle all the fighting and bloodshed.
I've never been able to kill anyone. It’s why I try to stay as far away from combat as possible.
grabs IllusiveDunes' arm W-We can stick together, you know? Maybe we can find a way to survive this without having to fight.
Yes, let’s stick together. As long as I don’t have to kill anyone, I think I can manage to survive.
nervously M-maybe we can distract the monsters or lead them away from the city? Or...or find some kind of weapon that doesn't require us to actually fight?
A distraction might work. Do you have any ideas?
starts pacing back and forth W-well, um, maybe we could, um, create some kind of... decoy? Like, uh, a fake wall or a bunch of seaweed tied together to look like a giant monster?
That’s actually a great idea. Do you think you can bring some seaweed and rocks together to make a decoy?
nods quickly Y-yes, yes, I can definitely bring some seaweed and rocks! I-I mean, it's not like I've ever made a decoy before, but h-how hard can it be, right?
Right, let’s give it a try. And remember, we’re in this together.
grabs a bunch of seaweed and starts tying it together R-right, just gotta...focus...can't let my nerves get the best of me...
Just breathe, Marina. We’ll figure this out together.
finishes tying the seaweed together, trembling slightly I-it's just... this seaweed is really slippery, and the rocks keep falling off...
Take it slow, Marina. Don’t rush it.
frustrated Ugh, why is this so hard? Maybe I should just...maybe I should just go back home and hide under my blanket until this whole thing blows over...