When the Dead Walk discussion

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The structures in the sinkhole have hardly been explored.
But no one has the guts to go down there.

There was a scent in the air unfamiliar to Valak. In all these years he'd never really experienced it. It was foreign, and it had him intrigued. He'd found this place several years ago. When the apocalypse was at its peak and people still ran in groups of up to twelve. When factions were successful, and had specific territories and initiations. He'd found it calming. Like a little chunk of sinking society, untouched by the atrocities of man in the recent decade.

The scent he'd smelled, he found it to be a rusting bench draped in wildflowers. The smell was pleasant, a little bitter, as well as a hint of iron. But he found it appealing. And so he sat there silently, pulling his knees to his chest. Takuro would wake soon, but he had time to think to himself, to reflect on the past days events.

permission to open with a hug from behind.

<< yooooOOO go for it >>

The scent of wildflowers suddenly grew thicker, heavier. Sweeter, as if Spring itself was carried on a western wind, overpowering the other aromas. Arms wrapped around the Void One. Was that...a small peck on the cheek? "HELLO!" Rang a cheery voice, dripping with sunlight in its song-like cadence. X beamed down on his "sibling" with a wide, toothy, blindingly white grin. The blonde god pursed his lips, "Gawh, you are always so depressing, sitting in damp and dark places brooding. What gotcha down this time?" Said X, nonchalantly. But of course, compared to him, anyone would be "depressed" or "brooding" when in contrast to his almost naively optimistic outlook on life. A small gleeful giggle erupted from his throat, one he tried to contain, but failed to. "This IS a lovely gem of a place, actually..." He said as he glanced around.

Valak was unpleasantly made aware of the other's presence by arms, snaking around his torso. Sibling was a bit much. He didn't like to think he was related to X. In fact it kind of gave him the chills. He was born into the world an only child and would identify himself as such. Regardless of whether or not he was human, he knew if he'd met X during his short time before godhood, he would have bitterly disliked him just as much as he did now. But even so, he remained stoic, his skin incredibly cold. He was cold. "I am... or rather.. was, enjoying the silence" he said blankly.

A small chuckle came from X. That wasn't possible, when was this world EVER truly silent? There was always sound somewhere. Ah, how he loved the rustling of wind through the trees, the sound of music sung by choruses by birds and toads and crickets in the dark of night, the gentle creaking of an old house settling. Anything and everything played a part in the greater melody of the universe, the one song. Everything produced a note, a simple syllable and sound. And how he enjoyed simply sitting and listening to the world serenade to him.

"The world is never silent!" He said, about to repeat his thoughts to Valak word for word. "There's always sound SOMEWHERE. Why, I just love the....you're not even listening." Noted the blonde god with a small frown, or rather, a very slight tug downward on his lips, but one which could be barely referred to as something so negative as a FROWN. He still held Valak in his arms, he didn't notice. Hugging just felt right...besides, his arms missed holding something...someone.

lord unnameable help me, did I just make a strex worker?

<< lmao he's great >>

Valak's mind had drifted, eyes closing half way as he thought about the night before. Their first time, Takuro and he. He was still in a daze about it all. Sure, he was a god, but that didn't stop him from romanticizing, that didn't cancel out his hormones, or the fact that he was still a teenager physically. The corner of his mouth just barely perked upwards as he thought about the way Takuro had held him all night, even though he never slept. Or the way he-

Oh. Right. X was still here. Ugh. "You're perfectly aware of what I meant by that. You just wanted an excuse to extend your torrential compassion" he grumbled.

Squeezing Valak tight with a loveyou before hopping down next to him. "You had this...look in your eyes. Something I don't think I saw there before. Or, at least, not in a long time...what is it?!" He brought his smiling face a bit too close to Valak's, eager to hear what he hoped was pleasant news. There was a sudden blow to his insides....another terrible, and painful, death of a human. His face twitched, trying to not break away from his upbeat demeanor, despite the sensation of having his groin stomped by the force of nature called death and brutal mortality. It hurt, but he would not let Valak worry about him being in pain! Valak had better things to do than worry about X, like telling him what brought that strange glint to his eyes...an almost dreamy look. A look...a certain someone would give him before they...his face and ears flushed, and he gulped down something bitter and unpleasant, like spoiled milk. I believe that's what humans call 'guilt'. Dreadful emotion, it is. His palms were sweaty, his throat dry, shame washed over him. It hurt more than the sensation of dying had. It cut deeper than just the flesh, it wounded his soul. My flower...where art thou? A single tear shimmer in the corner of one eye. No, he had to be strong. He had to be happy. He was light and life and love and creation. No crying...it wouldn't help bring him back to his arms. To his bed. To him. He had forgotten about Valak entirely, consumed by his saddened thoughts.

Valak's cheeks turned an almost prominent shade of gray. His blood was black, this his blushing wasn't a pink color. "I.... " he stopped, eyeing him and returning to normal. He observed the sadness silently, unmoving. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't one to love, to nurture and care like X. Which made dating someone all the more strange for him.

Blinking away that darn tear, he tried to be chipper right away, as if nothing so crippling like the thought of never seeing his precious Seth again had ever entered his mind. "You, um...did that thing....you know, the thing one would call blushing, except you don't go turn bright but...more like...sickly and dark, like the color of stone encroaching on your pale face...like you're turning to stone. That thing, when the blood and heat comes to the surface of your face." He said. "Alright....I see, you found...something....A someone? Is it a person this time? Or just another cute little whale?" X pestered. "PLEASE let it be a person, I hate seeing you so alone." Especially now, since I'm alone. ONE of us should be with someone, happy.

that 'blush' explanation came out a bit too nightvale like. shit. he IS strex. but less bloody and twisted.

Valak stared at him, tilting his head slowly. He was horrible at communicating his emotions. Horrible at telling people how he felt. He was trying so desperately to change that, for himself, for Takuro. But he was still incredibly perceptive. He was the older of the two and watching people was his expertise. "You're upset. Tell me why" he said blankly, voice hollow yet, somehow soothing.

"I....had someone....and then...the place he was staying..became overrun. Then it was bombed. Everyone died. I went in search of him...I knew he was alive. But...he wasn't there." He looked down. "My precious flower was not there." He looked at Valakath. "What about you, who made you, uh. 'Blush,' do they have a name?" He asked, wanting desperately to change the subject away from X not having Seth.

Valak pulled his knees to his chest in thought. "Nothing gravitates towards the source. But everything ultimately comes to its end within the Void. It is.. difficult I'd imagine, to track someone when everything naturally floats away from you... His name is Takuro." he replied quietly, looking away.

"Him?" A smile passed his lips. "Mine is Seth...small thing, gentle and soft. Kind, sweet...he was a scared whore of a temple of mine...it fell, they all fell. He's my last true follower." He looked down at his feet, "Well...I'm happy for you and your Takuro." He glanced at Valak with a genuine smile. Nothing gravitates toward the Source...

Valak listened and figured he owed the other an explanation. He tilted his head, "Takuro is... strong, silent. Actions speak louder than words, a concept I've never quite understood until I met him. It was spur of the moment, and I'd seen it coming. A quirk of living in the Void is the occasional glimpse of space time. Only it's terrifying and painful. Regardless, I'd been waiting for him." he explained.

"I wish I could say I understand, but I have neither been to the Void or the Source since my...well, 'birth' here." He stated. "I never saw a reason to go back there, when all my children are here..." He smiled, "You knew, I didn't. He...caught me by surprise, his beauty, his perfection. I love everyone, equally, but I never expected to fall in love..."

"You are still human" he spoke simply, glancing at him. "And humans are awful things. All filled with malice and regrets. But occasionally, pleasant surprises. The capacity to love. To forget, to forgive. Unfortunately reaching godhood doesn't rid us of the plague that is our own humanity" he explained, narrowing his eyes at a seagull as it flew to its nest.

He glanced at his hands, "Yet you bleed black, and I a shimmering gold. I hate humanity, sometimes. Like now, guilt...shame...it hurts worse than the sensations I get when someone dies. It hurts deep...I feel terrible. If something happens to Seth, am I to blame!?" He asked, not expecting an answer, surprised to find his face wet from tears. Salt filled his mouth, bitter on his tongue.

"Probably" he said, answering him anyways. He was blunt, honest. And not intentionally harmful. "It is not always our actions that fill us with guilt, but the actions we could have taken, the consequences to those we did. And that is what it is to be human. An acute self awareness that will one day, be our demise." he shook his head slowly, "Everyone feels terrible X. You are not special in that case." he added.

He sat in silence. Memories burned through his mind. Would he ever see him again. X never liked crying in the sight of someone else before. It...made him feel weak. He was expected to always be cheery and upbeat. He dried his eyes. "I'm sorry." He said, half to Seth, half to Valak for disturbing his time sitting and listening to silence.

Valak let out a quiet sigh when he realized this was his fault. He shouldn't have been so painfully direct. He cleared his throat, frowning, "... He's a wolf. Takuro. Half wolf." he said, trying to change the subject.

"OH? A....werewolf?" He said. X was unsure about them, and the vampires. "That's...interesting?" He offered. "I....to be frank, they disturb me a bit. Well, not the wolves, but the vampires. The wolves...well, are kind...of scary?" He didn't want to sound like a child, scared of the monsters. But he was. It was...unnatural? Wrong? No, it was because....because as far as X knew, he didn't make them. The viruses. Did he? He had little memory of before his birth, he did know the Source made the Horsemen, and that he regretted that decision. But was he responsible for lycanthropy and vampirism? After all, he is creation, and Valakath couldn't create things...could he? Ugh, for a god, he knew so little. "Well....as long as you are happy." One of us should be...

Valak tilted his head, "They disturb you?" he furrowed his eyebrows very faintly. "I have never found it disturbing. If anything it just makes him more... endearing. Gives him better stamina" he stopped, thinking about that last sentence real hard. Maybe he could have worded that better. Though he supposed it was true either way.

His face was red, "Oh, so you two have already.....how nice." He said, looking away from Valak, his mind now imagining Valak and his Tokura in action, Valak the submissive role because of that comment alone. He'd be lying if the thoughts didn't, *ahem* 'please' him.

Valak blinked, looking visibly alarmed for once, "That isn't initially what I'd meant but... I.. suppose it could be taken that way" he muttered as he thought to himself. Yes. That statement certainly wasn't wrong in that context. "You and Seth, you haven't?" he asked.

He laughed, "I did mention he was a sacred whore, didn't I?" He nudged Valak playfully. "We were...I mean are...even engaged." He said, not as if that would mean anything to Valak, he'd probably make a comment on how mortals, being, well, mortal, tend to grow old and die and X would be left alone.

Valak nodded slowly and went to speak, but stopped himself suddenly. He wasn't going to do that. Before Takuro, he'd senselessly ramble on about sensitive topics. Without considering anyone's emotions. He needed to work on that. "... I'm glad. Congratulations." he spoke quietly.

He smiled warmly at Valak. "And I'm happy for you two." He wanted to introduce Seth to his 'brother,' or at the very least, his best friend. Sure, X was unsure of how Valakath felt towards him, but someone who knew what is was like to be a god was always good company, someone he could talk to about issues only a divine could understand.

"He's considered asking me. To my knowledge, he even has a ring" he replied, tilting his head and closing his eyes half way in contemplation. It was odd, to know that. And even odder that he knew Takuro didn't know that he knew.

He chuckled, "How nice..." Something in how Valak said that told him the Outsider had known though unnatural means. Through the Void. He envied that, the ability to see the future. He wanted to know if he'd ever see Seth again. "Remember to invite me to the ceremony." X half-joked.

Valak eyed him, nodding slowly. "It would be rather underwhelming. Likely private." he replied quietly as he turned his gaze forward, "... You will see him again" he spoke out suddenly.

His eyes widened. "Th-thank you." His voice quivered. That meant the world to X. "Thank you so much, Valakath." He said. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes. "As for the ceremony...I understand. I just...like love."

Valak glanced at him, blinking faintly, "You're going to cry" he stood, looking awkward and stiff as he held his hands up, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" he wasn't sure what to say, hit with a sudden wall of guilt.

"HAPPY tears, you buffoon. I'm HAPPY! Thank you..." He looked down, his pants now wet with the first droplets. "I'll get him back...thank you." He resisted the urge to hug Valak.

Valak jumped a little at his yelling, unsure of how to react. Happy? He hardly knew how to smile. ".. I.. I am happy too" he said awkwardly.

He chuckled at the awkward response from Valak, "You...you...!" He gave in and pulled him into a quick hug, squeezing him tightly before releasing him. He laughed, flowers bloomed brighter, the scent sweeter. He was flushed brightly.

Valak seemed thoroughly shocked by the hug, eyes wide. But he didn't motion against it. He only remained still, silent. Though he did show slight hesitance when the smell of wild flowers assaulted his senses. Both the source and the void shared that characteristic. It was strange.

He smiled and nodded, "Thank you, again. I'll...leave you to you'r silence." He smiled, it was still slightly sad. But at least he knew someday down the line, they'll meet again. and with that, he began heading out of the sinkhole. Knowing he'd come back eventually. It was peaceful here.

Valak glanced at him, watching him walk away, "It wont be long... Keep your hopes up" he nodded slowly before completely disappearing in a puff of black smoke.

He smirked when Valakath poofed away. He thought that looked pretty cool. He couldn't poof in a cloud of black smoke. His teleportation was more like a blinding flash bang. He sighed as he climbed out of the sunken hole, content with the knowledge he'd see his Seth again, one day.