The blonde shrugs and crouches down to watch them from a lower perspective and hopefully to be less threatening to the adults. It seems to work, the Gastrodon only looking up from time to time to check in on their babies which have slowly all migrated to Marik and King.

Sorry, Kaiba. No slugs for you. (Probably for the better. They're less Goomy slime and more mucusy.)

Marik falls back in his butt to just sit down as he rummages through his pack and provides some berries to the small gathering of Shellos. He laughs as they crowd in, all trying to get a piece of food from this strange purple man. "I'd say they're more than curious. They're downright friendly. The food might have something to do with it too."

One in particular has made her way on to his lap and just sits there.

Marik smiles up at Kaiba. The older teen can see there's no malice or darkness behind those people eyes. Just wonderment and joy. Like a child without a care in the world.

Perhaps this is the Marik Ishizu spoke of wanting to get back.

"This place is amazing, isn't it?" He asks, giving a pat to the Shellos lounging on his lap.