Marten

> "*Wait—this cat. Did it have fur as soft as velvet down, and eyes the color of an autumn afternoon?*"
> ― Marten confirms that G-Rex killed his cat.
>
>

**Marten** is a student at The High School and one-half of a comedy duo with Charlie.

## Biography

Marten used to have a cat which, after he accidentally let it out, was run over by G-Rex’s car, unbeknownst to him. His cat’s disappearance would haunt him for most of his life.

Marten was a member of a comedy duo with Charlie, often performing costumed routines in front of kids or their friends. One day while performing at a kids’ party, Charlie suffered a stage fright attack after failing to deliver on his ideas, and Marten was forced to end the show prematurely. After the show, Marten blamed Charlie for the duo’s lack of success. They paid their sleazy manager, Wyatt, and Marten asked him to have a group meeting, though he’s mostly disinterested in their quarrels.

The next week at school, the boys mulled over new ideas they came up with; Marten suggested throwing a pie in Charlie’s face and exclaiming his face looks a bit crusty. Charlie’s crush, Alice, sat down and invited Marten, her crush, to her birthday party that weekend, though Marten was a bit hesitant due to the cat pictures on the invitation. Wyatt suggested that Alice’s birthday party could be an opportunity for the duo to step up their comedy game—though he really just wanted more money. Though Marten was concerned they’d have to come up with a lot of new ideas, Charlie assured him he’d pull his weight. Later, Charlie called Marten to see if they could rehearse that night; Martin declined, saying he had to do something with his parents. Marten, however, was secretly together with Alice.

At Alice’s party the next afternoon, Wyatt ushered the duo to perform their set, but it quickly began to bomb due to Charlie’s stage fright, much to Marten’s ire. Charlie ultimately drew a blank and tried to run away from the embarrassment, but tripped and fell, making everybody finally laugh; Marten then capitalized on the opportunity and riffed out jokes at Charlie’s expense, winning their allegiance and most importantly, Alice’s.

Marten and Wyatt brought in Charlie the next day for a group meeting to discuss Charlie’s exit from the group. Marten had trouble facing his former partner, but expressed his displeasure at having to bail Charlie out every show. Despite Charlie’s protests, Marten nor Wyatt felt they could continue with him, and so instead Marten introduced G-Rex, a good friend of Wyatt’s, and Charlie’s replacement. Devastated, Charlie began to pummel Marten, bloodying his face before being torn away by Wyatt.

As the days went by, Marten and G-Rex perfected their “crusty” routine as he and Alice grew closer. Secretly, however, Marten had doubts about G-Rex’s abilities. During a lunch meeting at The Good Earth Restaurant, Wyatt unexpectedly revealed that he was using the money from their shows to pay back criminals, which infuriated Marten. G-Rex revealed to Marten that he happened to run over his cat, making Marten even more sick and forcing him to flee the restaurant. At some point afterward, he dissolved his partnership with both Wyatt and G-Rex. Later, Charlie arrived at Marten’s house at Alice’s insistence in an effort to rekindle their comedy. Marten admitted he made a mistake in replacing Charlie, and the two reconciled, laughing together over the absurdity of the past days.

## Stills

Marten and Charlie's routine.Marten.Alice and Marten laughing at Charlie.Marten and G-Rex's new routine.Marten learns about his cat's fate.Marten wary of Charlie's return.