April 26, 2022
A small deer girl is walking around the forest, finding edible herbs and mushrooms and picking them up, putting them in her bag.
What looks to be a tiger's tail moves out of her peripheral vision.
Melody looks around curiously before continuing her walk.
She can hear someone mumbling something just to the right of her.
Melody tilts her head to listen better, ears turning at the sound.
“Why am I in a god damn forest, I was just at home-” The stranger mumbles.
Melody walks toward them. "Hello?"
A large blue, gold, and grey tiger is leaning against a tree. “Oh, I didn't expect someone else to be here.”
Melody tilts her head, looking at him. "Are you a tiger?"
He looks down at himself and then back at Melody. "Yeah, I guess I am.”
"Cool!!"
“Do you know where I am?"
"The woods, silly!" Melody smiles, tiny tail wagging.
The tiger chuckles. "I see. Do you know where MailMan is?"
"At a house I've been to!!" Melody replies.
"Could you take me to that house?" He asks.
"I dunno how! I could ask my friends!" Melody smiles.
“Then go ahead and ask them, I can wait.” The tiger smiles
"Okie.” She pauses for a moment, thinking. "What’s your name!!"
"Uhm, Joshua.”
"Good name!! Spider says not to bring you." Melody frowns.
“Who is Spider?" Joshua's head tilts in confusion.
"One of my friends!"
“Do you perhaps know a Cole?" Joshua asks.
Melody nods. "Yep!!! He said he’d protect me!"
"Oh… well then, uhm, you have a very good protector.”
"Really?!"
“Cole is very, uhm.....powerful,” Joshua says.
"How so!!" Melody asks, eyes shining with curiousity.
Joshua thinks for a second. “He knows when you’re in danger and will rescue you.”
"Cool!!"
“So can you ask one of your friends to take me to that house?"
"Yeah!!" Melody pauses. "They aren't answering right now!"
“Ask-” Joshua takes a deep regretful breath. “Cole to do it.”
"Okie!" Melody pauses again. "Do you consent to being tied up and handcuffed?"
“Yea- what- fuck it. Whatever, yeah I do.” Joshua sighs.
Enoch appears. “Hey there, Tony the Tiger and Jesus Christ's lovechild...Maybe Lazarus would’ve been a better example. You weren’t dead for 3 days I think.”
Joshua jumps at the sight of Enoch. “What the fuck?"
Melody looks at Enoch in confusion. "Jesus Christ's lovechild?"
”Don’t worry about it!” Enoch points at Joshua. “Stick em up, loser.”
Melody just holds the rosary and watches.
Joshua sighs and puts his massive fucking tiger paws in the air.
”Nice paws.” Enoch handcuffs Joshua with rings of fire that hold his wrists tightly together and held to his back. They don’t burn they’re just inconveniently warm.
"Beep bop boop,” Melody says absentmindedly.
“You are the fuckin worst.” Joshua shifts around in the cuffs uncomfortably.
"Fuck.” Says Melody.
”And you’re a scientist! I love stating facts.” Enoch begins to walk away, gesturing for them to follow. “I’m not teleporting you guys let’s take a walk.”
Joshua groans and follows Enoch.
Melody follows. "Meow.”
”Do you love God, Joshua?” Enoch asks.
"I love God!!!" Melody exclaims.
“No." Says Joshua.
"You don't?!” Melody looks at him in disbelief.
"I don't believe in God, well I guess until now,” Joshua responds.
"WHAT?!?!??!" Melody exclaims.
”What if I told you I don’t have a god complex and it’s just narcissism.” Enoch says.
"HUH?!?!?"
“Then I would believe you I guess.”
”Amazing.” Through the power of distorting reality, the three reach Harmonia's backyard!
---
"HI MAILMAN!" Melody runs over and attempts to hug him.
Mailman gets hugged as he looks down. "Hello, Melody." He smiles.
Joshua waits for MailMan to be done with Melody as he stares at him.
Melody smiles back, booping the snoot.
Enoch disappears.
To others, Mailman's smile is still normal, but Joshua can see a hint of sadness behind it.
"Hello, dear.” Joshua walks over to MailMan.
Melody lets go of Mailman. "Thank you for saving me yesterday!"
"You're welcome.” Mailman looks up at Joshua and pauses. He stares quietly.
Melody sits down and watches.
“Is something wrong?" Joshua's head tilts in confusion.
"What's your name?" Mailman asks.
"Joshua.”
Mailman suddenly goes to hug him tightly.
Joshua giggles and hugs MailMan as best he can with his cuffs.
Mailman doesn't let go.
Joshua doesn't let go either.
Mailman begins crying.
"Why are you crying, dear?" Joshua asks.
Mailman doesn't answer or let go as he keeps crying.
"Did something happen, dear?"
Mailman stops crying and lets go. "Are you hungry?"
Melody perks up. "I'm hungry!!!"
"No, I'm not hungry dear.”
"Maybe a snack?" Mailman’s back to smiling.
"I don't want a snack dear, I'm just not hungry at all.”
"Let's go make a snack!" Mailman heads to the kitchen.
Joshua shrugs and follows.
Melody gets up and follows.
---
Mailman walks into the kitchen and searches the fridge.
Melody sits down and watches Mailman.
Joshua watches MailMan closely.
Only Joshua can notice but Mailman’s hands are a hint shakier as he starts making some cookie dough.
Melody yawns and lays her head on the table. "Are you two best friends?"
"I’d say a little more than best friends but sure,” Joshua responds.
"Are you in a relationship?!" Melody asks.
"Maybe,” Joshua says.
"Cool!!" Melody exclaims.
Mailman starts shaping cookies into hearts on a pan.
"You guys have really cool fur and markings!!" Melody says.
“Thank you!" Exclaims Joshua.
Mailman walks over with the empty mixing bowl and sets it in front of Melody then goes to make the frosting. The bowl still has some dough on the sides.
Melody grins and starts licking up the dough happily. "Thank you!!"
Joshua smiles wildly.
Mailman is zoned out while baking.
"I'm still a little confused about how I got here…” Joshua mumbles.
Mailman finishes making cookies and sets a pan of them on the table.
Melody inhales 3 of them, grinning happily.
"I'm good, thanks though dear,” Joshua says.
Mailman sits down at the table.
Melody looks at Mailman and boops him.
“So dear, why were you crying?" Joshua asks.
"How's being a tiger like?" Mailman asks in return.
"It's fine, but why were you crying?"
Melody inhales more cookies.
"Do you still have claws?" Mailman asks.
"I do,” Joshua responds.
Melody goes to the living room.
"That's great! Is it a lot warmer with all that fur?" Mailman asks.
“Yeah I guess, why were you crying?"
"I see you still have a lab coat! Is it clean?"
"It is clean, why were you crying?" Joshua presses on.
"How was the weather in the forest today?" Mailman asks.
"Dear don't make me do this.”
Mailman stands up. "Maybe we should go see what the others have planned for today?"
Joshua groans and stands up and scratches Mailman's head.
His face starts to turn red as he backs up. "N-not- not this again-”
Joshua follows Mailman while still scratching them. “Why were you crying?"
"I-I thought you were gone-”
"What do you mean? I just remember waking up in the forest,” Joshua says.
"I-I didn't mean to-" Mailman tries to swat his hands away.
Joshua's hands get swatted away but he quickly returns to scratching MailMan. “Mean to what?"
Mailman starts to lock up "I-I- I m-may h-have k-killed you-”
Joshua stops and just stares at Mailman. “You what?"
His face slowly returns to his normal color as he cowers a bit "I uhh...I'm sorry-”
“But that isn't possible… how would I come back?" Joshua looks down at his paws.
"I-I don't know...are you mad?" Mailman asks.
“I...don't know, I feel like this just might be some afterlife or something- There's no way I came back-” Joshua says.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Mailman asks.
“I don't know- Unless you can prove to me this isn't some fucking afterlife then not really.”
"I don't know..uhm..how do you prove that?" Mailman asks.
"I don't know either… I'm not mad because I'm still not sure if that even happened but I know I still love you…” Joshua walks over to Mailman and boops him.
Mailman watches him for a moment calming down a little. "I, uh, love you too.”
“If this is an afterlife then it's the best one.” Joshua smiles.
Mailman smiles back.
“Do you have any plans today?" Joshua asks.
"Uhh- I was planning on crying until my eyes gave up on me but maybe we could do something else?" Mailman says.
"We could go on a walk or we could go back to my house,” Joshua says.
"Uhhhh- we should go on a walk.”
"Okay!" Joshua smiles, unaware of what is at his house.
Mailman heads towards the backyard.
Joshua follows.
---
Mailman takes a calm walk through the woods, Joshua following happily.
“You know I really wanna go to my house, but it's a long walk and I don't even have my car,” Joshua says.
"There's the mail truck, I drove it here.” Mailman says.
“Yeah but that has seen better days since that one time.”
"I'm sure the mai-"
Joshua and MailMan disappear.