Crumpled Papers Scattered Around a Dorm Room

The letters and papers of Joseph Marlowe. They're meant to remind him of something important or to be given to other people, but he usually loses them instead.

## S1E0 - Welcome to MHU! and S1E4 - Steaming in the Snow (Side B)

cw: alcohol use mention, accidental injury mention, death mention, depression

*[A half-sheet of paper torn out of a notebook, folded up and forgotten at the bottom of a messenger bag. The front and back are covered in cramped, smudged, and occasionally illegible writing in blue gel pen.]*

Hey Sebastian,

This is Joseph. I know it’s been a couple weeks (I think?) since we talked, but I thought it might be good to get everything down on paper to let you know what’s been going on with me, I guess.

First thing is, I’m sorry that I’ve been avoiding you for the last semester. I don’t really remember much about ~~dying~~ ~~what happened to me~~ what happened at the beginning of the school year, except that you were there, and I kind of assumed that ~~you’d killed me~~ that you had something to do with what happened. I know now that it wasn’t fair of me, and I’m sorry I didn’t try and talk to you sooner. I’m also sorry about kicking you in the head and throwing up. (Falling out the window was kind of fun though! :p jk)

Second, I was wondering if we could sit down and talk sometime? If I’m being honest I’ve been having a kind of hard time since *[illegibly scribbled out]* since what happened at the beginning of last semester.

This will sound kind of dumb, but it seems like everyone I know who’s really together and with it, like my roommate or Dorothy or your friend Iva, are totally normal people. ~~I know you’re a little more in tune with all that otherworldly stuff, but you’re still really~~ You’re also really with it, but I know you know a lot about the supernatural, too. I was hoping maybe you could help me figure out how to navigate things a bit better. Do you know that freshman Dakota in Ethics? They were able to somehow make me look ~~alive~~ normal for a while when I was at the hot springs recently. Can you do that, too? Also, have you met ~~Didi~~ ~~DD Didi Deedee~~ (sorry, not sure how to spell)? She seemed to really dislike me, like more than people normally dislike me, and I wondered if maybe it had to do with

*[The page ends. If there was ever a second page to this letter, it’s probably lost somewhere else.]*

## S1E7 - Sneaky Link(edIn)

*[Written on the back of a folded-up, unfinished stats worksheet, taped to a drycleaning bag. The bag contains a suit with a noticeable burn mark in the shape of a hand on the right elbow and is shoved haphazardly into the back of a closet.]*

Hi Dorothy,

Thanks for lending me your suit! It was a perfect fit. I got it dry-cleaned for you, too. I’m sorry about the burn on the elbow - it’s a long story, but hopefully it’s not too obvious. I think that the fair overall went alright - I met up with Xander and this ~~first year~~ sophomore I know, Iva, and we went around together. I almost had a job interview and I was able to get out quite a few copies of my resume, so hopefully something comes of that!

Best,

Joseph

## S1E11 - A Small Town

cw: toxic behavior, anger issues, depression, alcohol use mention, death mention, self loathing

*[A piece of notebook paper crumpled up and thrown on the top of an overflowing wastebasket.]*

Dear Xander,

I just wanted to say that I’m really, really sorry for how I acted with you the other day. I want you to know that I’m not really like this. You’ve only known me after what happened to me, and it’s frustrating for me to know that you’ve only seen this one side of me, and that you’ll probably only ever see this one side of me. I’m not stupid, and I’m not helpless, but I feel

*[Another piece of notebook paper, crumpled up and fallen on the floor next to the wastebasket.]*

Dear Xander,

I’ve had some time to think, and I wanted to say that I’m sorry for yelling at you the other day. I know that you have a lot going on in your life and a lot of pressure on you, and it’s not right for me to act like I’m the only one who has problems. Moreover, you’re a freshman and I’m a senior. This is a weird living situation. I have a responsibility to act appropriately around you. It was selfish and immature of me to

*[Yet another piece of notebook paper, torn up and left in a pile on the side of Joseph’s desk.]*

Dear Xander,

I’ve had some time to think, and I wanted to apologize for how I spoke to you the other day. It was really inappropriate of me. I know that you were only trying to be helpful, but I still snapped at you. I don’t want to make excuses, but it felt good to yell at you like that, even though I knew what I was doing was wrong. I don’t really “feel” much of anything these days. I’m not anxious even though I’m failing my classes. I don’t really enjoy seeing Sebastian even though I should be over the moon that he even wants to hang out with me again. I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. The only things that really have any impact on me are drinking and doing stupid shit, apparently. I don’t feel like I have any self control, but that doesn’t even really bother me, even  though I know it should. It felt good to act out on my anger, but you didn’t deserve that, and it’s not an excuse for me to be such a fucking asshole. I feel like shit about it, which I guess is still better than nothing, but I don’t know how to really make it up to you. You were vulnerable with me and I was still a jerk for no reason other than

*[A piece of unevenly folded notebook paper, taped to the side of a glass bottle filled with a green, bubbling liquid which has been left on Xander's desk. The label bears the brand “Uncle Mordecai’s Novelty Sodas,” then in smaller print, the flavor: “Snake Oil (kiwi, blue raspberry, orange).” Under the text and on the bottle cap is a cartoon green snake, wearing sunglasses and smiling.)*

Hi Xander,

I saw this while I was on that trip I told you I was going on and it made me think of you. Hope you’re having a great spring break!

Your Beloved Roommate,

Joseph