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New Year's Eve. The night sky stretched over the barren desert of Lost Temple. Hollow sands retained little of the scorching heat from the sun that had set hours ago. Whispers of smoke hung in the air from an eternally burning pyre; pyre which pulled the two inphernals into hiding. Although, it was not just the eternal fire that brought the two together that night, one-to-one kilometres out in the arid landscape. The celebrations in anticipation of the next year on the horizon were noisy and cramped: an uncomfortable cacophony.
Ghostwalker stared up at the sky, reaching a finger up to adjust the heavy spectacles upon his face. Galaxies of stars were littered across the Inphinity, but they looked particularly spectacular down on the Inpherno's surface. The deity couldn't help but wonder if perhaps one of the watchers ever tried to count just how many stars there were in the night sky. For the first time since Walker was cursed, he was able to handle the gentle glow of joy that arose inside. His face lacked expression, not helped by his lack of a mouth.
"Medkit. I feel... happy."
The unwilling medic looked over to Ghostwalker, perhaps in a bit of disbelief to see that he wasn't overwhelmed by his emotions for the first time since they had met. "You're really just happy?"
"Just happy." He confirmed, a gleeful lilt in his tone. Medkit smiled, brushing his gloved hand against the deity's. Ghostwalker pulled the mortal into his arms, letting out a quiet chuckle of contentment. His ability to laugh was just about as mysterious as his ability to speak, considering his lack of a mouth.
The doctor leaned into his friend's touch, his eyes falling shut as he got comfortable. An ache hung in the deity's chest as he glanced down at the inphernal in his arms - a trembling hand reaching up to cradle his face. The feelings tore at his peace once more as they grew amplified, excessive. Adoration, and then guilt for that very adoration - he knew he wasn't supposed to feel this way about mortals. Especially not after the Scorch. Despite having half a year to acclimate to his new mind, Ghostwalker struggled to regulate his emotions. Phantom tears flowed down his face as he dryly sobbed with jagged breaths.
"Apologies- I.. sob- I seem to be overwhelmed once more. I truly thought that- "
The Church's healer would swiftly cut off the deity. "Sh.. Walker." His eyes flicked open as he felt Walker's breath grow shaky. Medkit raised his hand, holding that of the deity's upon his face.
His heart pounded against his ribcage, a combination of worry and affection towards the taller inphernal. Ghostwalker's face glowed gold despite the entangled train of thoughts and festering feelings in his mind. A cold gust rattled past, but neither of the two inphernals seemed to notice. The overwhelmed deity calmed down shortly thereafter, his breathing stabilising - constant like the nocturnal desert winds.
"Thank you, Medkit. I.." Walker trailed off, glancing to the side - as if he was avoiding looking the doctor in the eye. The teal-horned inphernal would startle as the sky lit up - distant fireworks from the next town over. Medkit glanced at his watch. Alas, it had hit midnight. It's New Year's... and.. Walker's spawnday.
The medic hesitated for a moment, his heart beating so fast it felt as if it had stopped in that second. He pressed his lips against the vacant lower half of Ghostwalker's face, where his mouth would otherwise sit. The deity was caught off-guard by the sudden kiss, but would lean into it, face flushed more golden than it was before. Medkit was blushing too, seeming surprised himself that he opted to kiss Ghostwalker that night.
For the first time.
And it felt special.
It felt right.
"Happy Spawnday, Walker." He remarked after pulling away from the kiss, brushing his horns against the deity's. Walker squeaked, trying to process the emotions that now flooded in. The love and the admiration for this one inphernal - a contradiction to his sworn indifference to everyone in the Inpherno. But perhaps, with the curse, that was bound to have changed.
"May you have a happy new year." Ghostwalker managed, wings having revealed themselves from the irrepressible bliss he felt from the mortal's kiss.
"My year will be happiest if you stay with me, Ghostwalker."
"Medkit... were you not merely supposed to be a therapist to me?" He quivered as a result of everything he felt in that moment. Overwhelmed, but not painfully so.
"You helped me too, Walker. You understood my disdain for my job. You comforted me when no other inphernal did. You never expected anything from me."
"Kit.. I. I swore indifference to all inphernals in the Inpherno before I was cursed. But I sincerely do not think I am indifferent to you any more. If anything, I haven't been indifferent to you for months..." He leaned closer to Medkit. "Would it be unreasonable to request another kiss?"
"Not unreasonable." The ex-KORBLOX scientist pressed another kiss to the deity's face, which Walker would fully accept.
"I shall protect you to the edge of the Inphinity, 'Kit... I shall. I feel obligated to do so." He breathed, pulling the mortal closer to himself. "You no longer need to remain in that damned Church of lies. We'll hide... together."
Coloured explosions burst in the sky, obscuring the stars as light flooded the dark sky. It was beautiful, but not as beautiful as the natural sky. Ghostwalker, even before the curse, found himself longing for a quieter spawnday. In the light of the fireworks, Medkit looked gorgeous. Exhausted, but relaxed for once. Relaxed for the first time in years, potentially.. The deity thought with an icy misery spreading in his mind. The pain, the outrage at everything that happened to the greatest inphernal in the entire Inpherno. Why would such a wonderful being ever deserve the pain he went through? The deity leaned closer, brushing his nose and horns against the other inphernal's lovingly.
A cloud of dust was kicked up, obscuring the sky briefly as an oziphrage lands close by. Well maintained golden-orange plumage, and teal coloured tack immediately flagged something abnormal. Something dangerous.
A uniformed inphernal would dismount the large avian beast, scratching its neck before she would approach the pair. She adjusted her eyepiece and dusted off her shoulders before looking at Medkit with her good eye. Medkit's stomach sank. Rifle.. He would try to push away Ghostwalker, but found that he had vanished as soon as Rifle had appeared.
"Meds, would ya' care to explain why you're absent from the phestivities? And who was that other 'phernal you were with a moment ago? Invisibility cloak?! Because I swear in the Father's name he just vanished before my eye!" She would interrogate the medic, who narrowed his eye and sunk down. However, she seemed unsettled. Did I just see a... a GHOST? That's terrifying! I don't like that one bit... mkay. Easy, Scythe. We better get Meds back to the celebration before Father Overseer decides to execute 'em.
"I need some time to myself, Rifle. My apologies.."
"Do you wanna get on Father's bad side? C'mere, I'll give ya a lift." Scythe gestured to her oziphrage, which would suddenly appear startled - feathers standing on end as it tried to make itself look taller. Eh... what's wrong, buddy? The acolyte mentally questioned, frowning as she saw her feathered companion stressed. And then a cold, uncomfortable energy wrapped around her neck. A pale glow from a sword seemingly formed out of polymorphic ectoplasm. "MEDS. THERE'S A GHOST-" Genuine terror spiked Rifle's voice as she summoned her gear and pointed the energy blade at the 'ghost'.
"I did not authorise you to take Medkit. Leave now, or face eternal damnation."
The deity threatened, voice laced with rage - certainly not expected of Ghostwalker for it was generally known he was emotionless and unbiased. The outlaw ducked, stepping back before running over to her oziphrage. She couldn't call the Banlands Police, but if she were to phight Ghostwalker, she would definitely lose. Rifle hopped onto her oziphrage and took to the skies.
"I- I hope ya know.. I was just trying to help!" Rifle called before soaring back towards the town in which the celebration was taking place. Medkit fell silent, pulling his knees to his face. Was this really better for me? He would mentally question.
A set of ghostly wings wrapped around the traitor as Ghostwalker sunk down behind him in silence. His breathing was heavy, pained. But it was unclear exactly why. Kit could only assume he was overwhelmed again.
"I'm sorry Walker." Medkit quietly apologised. Walker would simply nod, but he would not speak again for the rest of that night.
The phantom lord feels, and he feels for the unwilling healer.