May 24, 2022

Jesse sits on a swing at the park, after hours. When it's dark, the sound of the hemlock and pine trees that lined the park, is rather soothing. He couldn't stop thinking about seeing Max that night. It was odd how he didn't run. Jesse had seen other people in that position- even worse, people standing up to it. that's stupid, he thought. I mean, had he tried? Not at all. He always ran away from it.>

In all honesty, what was stupid is that he came out here without his camera. He was so close to that path, that he didn't know exactly how safe he was. Did he care? No. And if he died, ...then that's just how it has to be, he thought to himself. Now, Jesse wasn't suicidal by any means. But it certainly was an interesting subject to him. He definetly wasnt safe. He stood and walked home.

---

Jesse walks in the front door, blinking as the flourescent lights burnt his eyes. He slammed the door shut, and stumbled over to the living room. Jesse walks up to the end of the couch, flops down and passes out. Sleepytime boy! Max walks up to Jesse from behind the couch, and stands there for a second. He then slaps Jesse really hard in the face.

"Wake up, stoney baloney! You're not gonna remember a moment of what's about to happen next."

Jesse shoots up, disoriented.

"Huh..? Max?! What the fuck are you doing here?"

"It's time you meet some people. And no! You cant bring your camera, dumbass. When you wake up, this will all be a dream, hehe." Max cut off Jesse, then slapped him again, teleporting him to the other Veil in a flash of yellow distortion.

~~~~~

>!! FOREIGN OBJECT(S) ENTERING LIM_VEIL1

~~~~~

Max appears with Jesse. He gives a decent cough before standing up straight and announcing their presence. "This is Jesse. Jesse's stupid, take that with a grain of salt." He sits on the ground.

Jesse blinks, suddenly somewhere else. How did he get here? Was this that place he was before? Was it different? Jesse was very scared. "What the fuck... where...?"

"...um."

Harmonia walks in. "Oh holy shit it's the hollowhemlocked guy.”

Luna jumps down from the top bunk. She stands 4ft 6in and looks like a cross between a tiger and a tabby cat, except her fur is purple and black striped. Her ears have a bit of white fluff in them and due to a genetics incident, she's able to hear and smell things many are unable to. Her limbs are all digitigrade and clawed, but they're retractable, allowing her to climb on most surfaces; also they have pink paw pads. Luna's tail is decently long. She often wears anime hoodies and athletic shorts, alongside her blue spiked collar.

Max kicks the back of Jesse's leg. "Go on, be social!"

Jesse feels worse than when he woke up. There was a burning sensation in the back of his throat. "Uh- What? Uhm... yeah, I do that... one thing though? Where am I?"

"My house. Names Harmonia. Don't worry, we aren't gonna hurt you." She extends a hand to Jesse, holding a pack of Oreos in the other hand

Jesse's head begins to swim. He was irritated at the sudden abduction. Though hesitant at first, the handshake is returned, Jesse glancing back at Max. "Cool. Yeah, sorry about the sudden drop by... Max is a real stunt puller."

"No worries. Normally if we get unexpected guests it's some entity that comes to ruin our day so a powerless human kid is a breath of fresh air." Harmonia says.

"Haha, you're gonna feel sick for a bit, bud. It's like, a bike compared to how he travels." Max says.

"Slendy?" Harmonia asks.

Cole is a 6’1 man with a charcoal grey jacket and a light blue undershirt with hazel brown eyes and ghostly white hair and is fidgeting with a pen in one hand not really seeming to be paying attention to anything that is happening.

"Yeah, but we choose anonymity over directly empowering him through name usage. But it doesn't hurt anyone at the moment, so we call him the Guardian." Max says.

Jesse rubbed his eyes, coughing briefly.

"It powers him? Weird. We normally call him the Moon around here." She eats an Oreo before extending the package to the skrimblos. "Want some?”

"At least that's what Knowingness told me on initiation night," Max plunges his hand into the package.

Jesse gently grabs one from the package, eating it quickly. " 'fanks."

"No problem. Welcome to my house, the home of the gay and mentally deranged." Harmonia pauses. "Wait you use money right?”

"Yeah, when I have it," Jesse says.

Harmonia takes 60 bucks out of her pocket and extends 30 to each of them. "Friend gave me 60 bucks and these Oreos in exchange for chores but I don't really. use money so. Enjoy.”

"I don't think any of us do. We just steal shit from the Walmart in Meridian." Luna says.

"To be fair, our world is ending so we’re allowed,” Harmonia says.

"Dawg- Are you serious? Thank you! I can get... I can get a cart and munchies with this!" Jesse was grinning, being the happiest he's been in a few months.

Lock, a standing red panda, walks in with messed-up fur. “Ayo bitches?"

"No problem!" Harmonia smiles back at him, accidentally showing her pointed teeth. "You fuckin deserve it, man. Shits are tough." Harmonia looks to Lock. "Sup.”

"Yo Lock," Luna says.

Cole zones back in and, not realizing a new person is here, says, "I'm feeling murderous tonight.”

Harmonia facepalms.

Luna just sighs and sits on the couch.

"Even though you're a murderer, I'm glad we can still pool money for weed!" Jesse exclaims, looking at Max.

Max places a hand on his chest and smiles. "Me too dawg :')"

“Weed is overrated, I smoked it once and ruined the grill.” Lock sits down on the floor.

Cole looks up at Jesse. “Oh fuck a new person is here.”

"The skrunkly scrimblos when they bond,” Harmonia says.

"Huh?" Jesse says.

"Yeah, we're skrunkly!" Max exclaims.

“Me when I accidentally reveal that I'm mentally deranged.” Cole then smiles.

Jesse chuckles. "Me fuckin too, bro."

“Cole Genesone moment.”

"Cole Genesone and Jesse Hollowhemlocks when." Harmonia sits down on the floor, eating a couple more Oreos.

“Damn do you also hear voices and have manic thoughts?" Cole is still smiling.

"No, but I haven't slept for a few days to avoid dead homie nightmares, and I'm constantly being monitored!" Jesse actually starts to belly laugh, his eyes beginning to water.

"Do you need a hug man?" Harmonia asks.

“Same.” Cole just nods and giggles.

Jesse just lets the laugh trail off into a deep sigh. "I'm good! Deep down, I find it funny as shit.."

"Well, if it helps, you're not alone. You know Roxy? We're kinda like her. Like she doesn't live with us but a couple of us are close to her." Harmonia exclaims.

"Yeah! I know Roxy! She helped out when all my stuff was in the early stages. I think they still are, but that's beside the point-" Jesse shrugs, shoving his hands in his hoodie pocket.

Chris comes into the room and sits down on the couch. He's 5'11", wearing a light blue and white jacket, orange t-shirt underneath, and a pair of dark blue-rimmed glasses. He has baby blue eyes and messy black hair. He is muttering something to himself.

Cole goes back to fidgeting with his pen and not really paying attention.

Luna jumps up to the top bunk and returns to watching anime.

Jesse zones out for a second, looking at Cole. He then starts snapping his fingers. "Hey! You're the one who said to load my GoPro into a cannon and shoot it at orphans! You're Mr. Funny Guy!"

Harmonia bursts out laughing. "I'm the one who told you to eat the camera.”

Jesse turns and faces Harmonia, his hands planted on his head. "Oh! >:0 You're THAT Harmonia! Harmonia Reeds!"

"YES!" Harmonia laughs. "My old Twitter got suspended because I had some choice words for someone. You should follow my new one @damnedglutton" She grins at the self-promotion. Little does she know, the next day, that Twitter will be suspended as well.

"Alright, that's enough calculations for the night." Chris looks up. "Oh hello."

Jesse pats his jeans down for his phone, not feeling it. He pulls a pen from his hoodie pocket, writing it on his arm. "Got it!"

Max uses his PC to get Jesse's Twitter to follow Harmonia. Cheeky little hacker.

“Wow, Harmonia.” Luna giggles, not even looking up from her laptop

"Hello Harmonia, Luna, hello dearie," Chris says.

"Hey." Luna says.

"God bless." Harmonia grins. "Wanna know some war stories?" She asks Max and Jesse, seemingly in a good mood.

Max checks his watch. "Yeah, sure. But I'd like to have Jesse back on his couch sooner rather than later, so give a short one!”

Cole zones back in. “Heh, what about orphans?"

"No, dear. Haven't even started yet." Chris says.

"Bet. Okay so basically one time we killed a demon prince named Beezlebub. There's like a variety of afterlives and Hells but in the Hell that I belong to, the former Prince of Gluttony was his giant motherfucker who had eaten so much over like 2 thousand years that his castle had to keep being built upon to fit him. So he didn't like me for a couple of reasons and kidnapped me a few days before Easter. Man's fucking crucified me to a stone slab and then laid me in a bath of orange juice and spices to marinate. For like 4 days I laid there, trying to come up with a plan. Then on Easter, my friends stormed the castle, freeing me and helping kick the shit out of Beelzebub. Knight threw bombs and Apollo became super fucking big that he curbstomped Beelzebub and broke the castle to bits. I told Cole to give me his hard light sword and I jumped down, cutting Beelzebub open. Inside him was my friend Thrall who had started eating his soul and now Thrall is the prince of Gluttony! I hope you enjoyed!" Harmonia does fucking jazz hands.

Cole mutters. “It was a Halo energy sword but yeah sure hard light.”

"Listen, I didn't know that,” Harmonia says.

“Coulda asked.”

"Sorry..”

“Don't be sorry, mostly my fault for not telling you,” Cole says.

Jesse gives small applause before Max grabs him by the hoodie scruff.

Max holds Jesse in an iron-tight grip, as Jesse kicks and squirms. "Well, we better get going. I'll be back eventually. Duces!" The two disappear into a flash of yellow distortion.

"Bye- Fucking gone." Harmonia laughs.

“Reduced to piss distortion.” Cole giggles.