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“... You know Dipple-dop…”
“Hmmm? What Skizz?”
“I’ve been thinking-”
“Best not do that too much. You’ll hurt yourself.”
“HEY! I’m being serious here!”
“...”
“Stop laughing at me!”
“...”
“You done?”
“... Think so… Yeah I’m done for now.”
“Anyway, before I was rudely interrupted! … I’ve been thinking about us lately.”
“Us?”
“Yeah like… Us being friends and all that. Cause, I don’t think- It just wouldn’t be the same. I wouldn’t just… befriend any old Demon you know?”
“... Yeah I do…”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, I don’t think- you’re different from most Angels I have met in the past. Like back when we first met. You could have reported me to someone else or chased me off or even cured me. But you didn’t. Or when I explained to you about how being selfish is a scale and that respecting yourself and telling people ‘no’ when you’ve had enough may seem super selfish, but it’s good for you? You didn’t really try fighting me on the concept.”
“I mean it just… made sense? Still does. Like I get stronger from healing people in like a perpetual motion machine of power sorta thing. The more I heal, the stronger I get. The stronger I get, the more people I can heal. But what if the person I’m told to heal hurt someone close to me like Top or B-Double-Down? What do I do then? As an angel of healing, I’m expected to heal them regardless of who they are and what they’ve done. But they hurt my friends and will continue to do so if I heal them… And I know I’m supposed to love all forms of life equally, but how can I love someone that has harmed other living beings that I love?”
“Yeah, exactly! And in exchange you- you were the one that told me about not letting my rage consume me. That I didn’t have to be vengeful all the time. That I could wait to inflict it on those that deserved it. And that made sense to me because why waste my diseases that I spent so long cultivating on a petty squabble? It’d be a waste of energy and resources that could be spent improving the stock I already had to be unleashed on bigger fish to fry.”
“Yeah… I get that…”
“...”
“... You know- Nah forget it.”
“What?”
“It’s stupid!”
“Everything you do is stupid.”
“Alright then, smart guy! Would you ever consider being purified-”
“Yes.”
“... Yes? You?? You, one of the Marquises of Pestilence, would let yourself get purified???”
“If it was you- If you were the one purifying me? Yes. I want- Maybe it’s just me being a Demon, but I want all of you to myself. Everything you can give, I want all for myself and myself alone. And if that means becoming an Angel so I can get the lion’s share of your love? I would do it. Without a second thought.”
“...”
“Wh- Are you crying? Shit, I didn’t mean to make you-”
“That’s my line, you jerk! W-Well I mean- I would let you- I would gladly get corrupted if it meant- I want to give you all the love that I can give you. I really do. You’re The One I Give My Love Most Generously To. I want- I want to stay with you without hurting either of us, without worrying about doing irreparable harm to you. I want that so badly, Impulse! So that’s why- why I would let you corrupt me if you wanted to.”
“...”
“If you’re gonna cry, please lean back- please don’t kill the beets, dude. We need these for Naked & Scared-”
“Skizz?”
“Yeah, homie-buddeh?”
“I’d rather risk death every time we get close to each other, then watch you turn into someone that I don’t know.”
“...”
“I- You taught me… so many things. You taught me how to appreciate sunlight, showed me the way that so many things need the warmth that it gives off to flourish. You taught me how to make my own music, guided me through the act of creating things for the hell of it because it would be fun or look nice rather than out of any sort of need for an item to be made. You taught me how to love things that were not in my typical scope, helped me see the beauty in that which is not diseased. You even taught me Celestial, a language meant only for your lips and tongue so that we could communicate clearly with each other.”
“Impulse…”
“I love those moments that we shared and I don’t want them to mean nothing to you by you falling.”
“I know, I know. I also- I cherish all the things you taught me too you know.”
“... Really?”
“Really! Like- ummm… Ah! Like when you taught me about justice! How everything isn’t just simply black and white, good and bad, but shades of grey! Like what we talked about before with the example of whether or not I would heal someone that was hurting those I love. And pride! You taught me that being proud of who I am, what I do, that it can be a good thing and not a bad one! And there’s also like… You said I taught you how to see the beauty in things that aren’t diseased right? Well you showed me the beauty that can be found in disease and filth. Like how maggots are considered disgusting and filthy but they’re so good at helping clean out necrotic flesh from injuries! That’s beautiful! And the way viruses kill cells to replicate themselves! That’s awful that they're killing other cells to do so, but it’s also cool in its own way! And of course I’m always going to be grateful that you taught me Demonic because now I can’t be cheated out of things by other Demons!”
“I’m- I’m glad you love the things I taught you that much.”
“Well you’re my best friend! Of course I’m gonna favor the memories of times that we have spent together!”
“Mmm…”
“Hey, Impulse?”
“Yeah?”
“Hug?”
“... Yeah”
“...”
“...”
“Alright! Now let’s get these mob heads!”
“Heh. Just be careful about grabbing the mobs. Don’t want to die 5 episodes into the season!”