II: Influences — Chapter 3

Summary

• In the first week of July, Marx returns early from his internship in London and informs Sam that he wants to stay at their apartment. Sadie wasn't thrilled with the idea of Marx staying with them, but Sam reassures her that Marx can be helpful.
• Sam and Sadie have made significant progress on the design of their unnamed game. They have fully developed the child character’s wardrobe and movements, giving the child a unique and slightly awkward walk.
• Marx arrives and is showed a demo of the first level of their game. He finds it difficult to play at first, but he eventually gets the hang of it.
• Marx suggests they name the character and the game "Ichigo," which translates to "strawberry" in Japanese and also corresponds to the number on the virtual child’s jersey (one, five in Japanese). Sadie initially dislikes that Marx has named their game but admits the name is catchy.
• Marx proves invaluable throughout the summer, despite Sadie's initial resentment. Marx organizes their workflow, procures necessary supplies, takes care of the administrative and financial aspects of their endeavor, and contributes creatively to the game design.
• Marx also believes in their project passionately and grows to love both Sam and Sadie. Marx expresses an interest in Sadie but is discouraged from pursuing a romantic relationship by Sam who wants to focus on developing the game without distractions.
• Despite his initial interest in Sadie, Marx is not deeply bothered by Sam’s refusal to allow him to pursue her romantically.