Ari finds themselves in Thicket. They see there's upside down trees everywhere. She's standing on their branches, and no one's there to have touched their shoulder.

Ari jumps, "What the FUCK???"

The tree's branches are covered in lush leaves and the grass is just as green and fresh. The wind gently blows some dirt off the tops of the roots above.

Ari looks around confused and begins slithering, looking for any life. He starts to notice movement in the grass ahead. Ari squints her eyes and moves a bit quicker, "Hello??" The movement continues around the side of a tree out of sight. They get a glimpse of shining black scales.

He tries to follow, "Hello? Who is that??" On turning the corner, Ari is face to face with being that's reaching down to what was a black snake. The snake makes its way up the being's arm and out of sight. Ari can't seem to see any details about the being, as it's cloaked in shadows, but 6 dark, seemingly bronze, wings are unfolded around it. Gazing on it gives Ari a sense of dread.

Ari shivers and takes a step back, feeling the dread but taking it as a challenge and looking directly at them. "Who are you? Where am I?"

It stands up straight and seems around 9 feet tall. The dread remains, and Ari can hear faint running water, like a creek. The grass around them blooms with small white flowers. As it speaks it has a soft tone, yet a gruff and cold voice, "You've fallen here?"

Ari tilts his head, "I didn't exactly... fall. I was just looking for your lil guy you've got there and someone tapped my arm, now I'm here."

The wings shift some, seemingly heavy, yet able to hold their place. It steps towards Ari, "Life has ways of bringing things to see," it holds out seemingly an arm, but its details are almost impossible to make out.

Ari takes another step back, squinting to try and see it better, "Who... are you?"

"Would you recognize an angel when you saw one?" it keeps its arm out.

"Depends...? Dont angels have like a bunch of different forms? And are you trying to shake my hand?"

"I want to return you to where you were. Unless you wish to not accept my hand, in fear of a crippled luck?"

"You're kinda giving like... the worst vibes imaginable believe it or not? Now that you claim to be an angel... where am I before you send me back?"

It lowers its hand, "You're lost in my lands, dear," something near its face moves like it blinked.

"Dear? Slow it down there buddy, take me to dinner first."

"Playful like my friend here, I can tell," it holds up an arm as the black snake from before watches Ari, coiled around the angel's arm.

Ari flicks its tongue out towards the snake, "We have more than one similarity."

"I would say so, I'm familiar with your kind," they hold out the snake.

Ari holds out xeir arm to take the snake, "You are?"

"Would you like to meet one?" the snake slithers to Ari's arm. It feels cool to the touch and soft.

Ari tries to pet the snake a tad bit, his eyes light up slightly at the offer, "Oh, absolutely."

The snake seems very tame and closes its eyes. The being turns slightly and gestures to a clearing lit by the sunlight. Around the clearing is several stone statues of angels, sitting atop the trees on the mounds of dirt, roots, and layers of grass that grew up there.

Ari turns to the clearing, moving towards it, "Quite a place you have here."

Stepping out from the trees is... Mailman! But.. different. He has a black gold and light grey striped pattern to his scales, as well as black eyes. His floral shirt has a few stains and isn't buttoned up correctly. He looks around, a bit confused as he steps into the clearing .

Ari tilts his head and waves, not exactly recognizing him, "Heyo."

MailMan looks over at Ari, "Uh hey...where am I?"

Ari shrugs and points behind her to the angel, "This dudes 'realm', or something like that, no clue. Who are you?"

"No clue don't care," MailMan folds his arms.

Ari holds out a hand to shake, "Well then... nice to meet you, I'm Ari." MailMan stares at Ari's hand and raises an eyebrow as if disgusted.

"Sir I would prefer if you showed some manners when in my presence," says the angel.

Mailman rolls his eyes and accepts the handshake with some hesitation.

Ari snickers, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, what's wrong with you? Why do you think something is wrong?" he grumbles.

"You're in a pretty asshatty mood, huh?"

"Asshatty? What coat rack ass taught you that insult?"

"Never said it was an insult, just how you're acting. Damn you're presumptious."

"Well youre just...uhhh....assumptions. Yeahhh"

Ari snickers, "So you don't know who you are?"

"Correctamoondo"

"What were you doing before you got here?"

"Some weird ass tiger guy was trying to hug me"

"Weird ass tiger guy? What was he like?"

"Had crazy colors and some lab coat thing. He was obnoxious as all hell!"

"Wild... do you know how you got all, snake?"

"Nope, thats all I know"

"He's considerably new to this state," says the angel.

"Wacky... can you do this?" Ari's eyes shift to spirals.

MailMan looks at her eyes and tilts his head slightly, "What the??"

They fade back to normal, "Is that a no, then?"

"I dont think I can...are your eyes broken?"

"Nope! Work perfectly fine. It's a whole hypnosis thing."

"Hypnosis isnt real. Maybe you left your contacts in while you were sleeping or something"

Ari holds back from snickering, "Yeah, you wanna bet?"

"The contacts may have slid back into your brain"

Ari's eyes shift back, "If you keep looking, maybe you'll see them."

MailMan squints at them as his scales slowly start to shift color.

"But as you look, notice how nice they are."

"I mean I guess they're ok" Mailman's scales are shifting to their normal colors

Ari's eyes widen a bit as it continues, "They look a lot nicer than anything else you've seen since you've gotten here, yeah?"

"Yyeah I think they do"

"Actually, now that you look at them closer, they're better than anything you can remember seeing."

"Ohhh ok," Mailman takes a step forward and smiles as he stands, only a centimeter between them.

"You like them, don't you?"

"They look great!" he fully looks like Mailman now.

"And since you like them, and they're mine, that means you like me, yeah?"

MailMan nods with a long smile, "That makes sense yeah"

"And because you like me, you trust me. Meaning whatever I say has got to be right, do you agree with that?"

MailMan nods, "Mhm, has to be right"

"So... what you'll find when my eyes go back to normal is that you can remember your name, whatever that may be, if it's not somewhere in that head then you'll make it up, but it will feel so real to you, like that's what it's always been."

MailMan nods, "I'll have a name"

"And you won't remember any of this being told to you until I point out your color change, and then this entire experience will become vividly real to you, especially the shift in color."

"Ok, vividly real"

"Good, good." And its eyes shift back. MailMan still watches him with a goofy smile. Ari asks, "Whatcha smiling about?"

"I just really like smiling. Do you like smiling?"

She smiles in response, "I do as well. Say, I dont think I caught your name?"

"I'm Rebirth. I know we've met before"

"Really? From where?"

"Harmonia's house. I remember seeing you there"

"Ah, good you remember now, interesting shift of color you had there."

"Shift of..color..shift of color?" MailMan tilts his head some

The angel chimes in, "I'm afraid he functions a bit differently between each state. They don't particularly like to bleed over."

They look over, "Ah, so they arent the same then?"

"A different mind entirely. Though I will not allow the mind under my rule to be toyed with...this one, however, I could care less," the being says as Mailman looks over at it with a smile and waves happily.

"Thats a bit rude... he's fairly sweet, I like him. How've you been Mailman?"

"I've developed an unhealthy obession with beers!"

"Really? I wouldn't see you as the alcoholic type."

"Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I started drinking! Just had an uncontrollable urge to have more!" he smiles.

"Have you ever tried to stop?"

"Why would I? It's great!"

"You said yourself it's unhealthy"

"Unhealthy isn't thaaat bad"

"Whenever you would like to be returned where you were, let me know," the angel says.

Ari turns and nods, "Just gimme a lil longer. No no, it's bad. If its hurting you that's bad. You should prolly stop that."

"I don't think its too bad if it hurts. Besides, Joshua has been generally happy!"

"And Joshua's fine with your addiction?"

"I mean he seems happy so I'd say so. Wouldnt want him to be unhappy"

"How can you be sure he wouldn't be happier if you stopped?"

"Why change anything if what I'm doing is working?"

"Well, he could always be happier. Why not try it?"

"What if it doesn't work and he starts to hate me for trying to be something else other than who I am and I live a life of longing and exile from my past failures and mistakes unable to resolve my inner conflicts for the choice I decided to making knowing very well it puts our relationship into peril!?!?"

Ari nods along, "Well, then you go back, and that doesn't go that far!"

MailMan looks behind him and takes a step back, "Did it work?"

"Did what work?"

"I dont know, hey where's Joshy?"

Ari shrugs, "You showed up alone."

MailMan looks behind him, "His living room was just behind me, huh"

"Wild... well, if that's all, it was nice seeing you!"

"It was great seeing you and your eyes too!"

Ari grins, "Oh I'm sure you'll see them again. I'm ready to go back now, Mr. Angel." He offers the snake back to them. They hold out their arm as the snake coils onto their arm.

They hold out a hand to Ari, "I will return you without a cost, this time."

"Would there normally be one?"

They keep their hand out without a word. Ari shrugs, and takes it. It feels cold, like stone. Ari is now in the forest again.