Dead Man Walking

Mortis had fallen silent once again, seeming to...massage his bony temples in an attempt to relax himself. With muscle and skin attached to his hands and not his skull, the action probably rubbed away layers of his own skin. Bone wasn't exactly malleable, after all. Kev directed his gaze away politely, peeking down into his cup. The tea was low enough that Kev could make out the bottom of the cup. At Fear's offer for more, he nodded and pulled his hands out of the drink. "Yes, please. Thank you." Owlish eyes centered on Fear, awaiting his response. After a few moments of silence though, Kev figured he may have forgotten, or simply didn't hear him. Ah well, a few minutes of silence never hurt anybody-

"Have you tried kicking him?"

A light but sharp gasp sounded, the alien staring at Fear as if he'd crawled on the table and showed off his bare buttocks. If Kev owned a mouth, he would have spat out tea in a dramatic and shocked manner. As it was, he merely laid a hand over his own chest and shook his head vehemently. "I would never! That's abuse! I'd sooner kick my own ass then any of my animals'!" Mortis let out a noise, muffled by the consumption of tea. Perhaps something was going down the wrong way...? The scaly alien's attention remained on Fear as he went on, explaining more about their world. Kev had heard plenty about it, but he never heard how they treated dogs. Dogs that misbehaved either received a swift kick to the ribs, or were shot like animals! ...W-well alright, dogs are animals but... Animals should be shot with good reason, not just because you don't like them! Kev's face twisted up, becoming indignant as Fear further explained. Shown the bodies to teach them what would happen... Piles upon piles outside of a house. Like bags of trash. "Those poor dogs..." How could a world be so cruel? Not just to animals, but to everyone. No wonder such a world lead to the creation of the Dark Judges... With nothing but darkness and cruelty, how could anything else grow? He made an effort not to get upset at either of the ghouls, merely at the world they came from. Fear and Mortis could not help being born in such a place. His gaze fell back down to the dark marble, finger tracing the lid of his drink.

"N-no...I've never had....dog meat." Apparently very gamey and fatty. No matter when he next became a human, dogs were not going on his list of 'must haves'. "I wouldn't be surprised if they put unfit Judges in their food, actually." The alien added, almost in a grumble. Such disregard for life, such casual death, such disrespect to the bodies. Rather than be buried, they were merely hacked up and served to others. Whether that only happened to dogs, or to people as well, neither option was great. "Thank you for the suggestion, Fear, but I can't kick any of my animals. I suppose the next best option would be...withholding treats?" Hngh, dogs were harder to discipline than children, in his humble opinion. Not that he really had to give Nym punishments or anything... Same for Livewire and Marvin. The majority of those under his care were well behaved and didn't need a switch to the backside. Even if Oscar was a misbehaved pooch, well... Training or no training, Kev didn't have the heart to kick an innocent animal.

"If it bothersss you ssso much, brother, you could sssimply visssit him,"

"...Yesss, a vissit. I think I ssshall." The ghoul hissed distantly. Just to see if he was doing fine, that Lunette was doing fine. Although, would they want him to visit? Undoubtedly he would be met with hostility if he did, given his crimes, but even so it would be enough to know that they both were doing okay. "They ssstill sstay at the Tavern, correct?" He could bring an apology gift perhaps... What would they like, he wondered? He never really learned about either of their preferences.

"I would never! That's abuse! I'd sooner kick my own ass then any of my animals'!"
"Oh Kev, don't be sssuch a bleeding heart liberal, there'sss no harm in a little physssical 'encouragement', isss there?"

The ghoul took another bite of his biscuit, the claws that had been massaging his temples now curling to rest their points upon the bone of his skull. He certainly had not forgotten about the conversation, but his attention was distracted from it. Would they like chocolate? Then again chocolate could be poisonous to certain animals... Did it still apply to an Anitra? Maybe some beer would be-- No, no, that would give off the wrong impression. Fresh fruit tended to be a universal enjoyment, right? Then again, Lunette was more of a carnivore, he wanted to give them something that they would both enjoy. Mortis heard his name come up in the conversation and he briefly tilted his head in fear's direction. "Hm, yesss. Jussst fine." He uttered, still partially submerged in his thoughts.

Speaking of things turning out just fine... He should treat his brother to something better than a paltry bottle of liquor and a pack of smokes. The man deserved far more than that simple bag, and his sheep-skulled fool of a brother's awkward mannerisms. "I hear ssshock collarsss are alssso very effective, Kev. Anytime Ossscar actsss up, you presss a button and zzzap! It'sss effective and legal, if you fret about abussse." Mortis spoke up, keeping his empty gaze situated on the far wall. It certainly kept that one dog-Judge in line, what was his name...Rudy? Yes, Chief Judge Rudy. Should he have taken a trip to Vegas instead of their leader, well, for one Vegas would not have been there anymore by the time he left, but until then he would not have minded a turn with the shock remote. Crank it to eleven and the entertainment made itself.

The ghoul ate the rest of his biscuit, gladly reaching for another as Fear decided to bring up that if he had to eat dog, he would, or another Judge for that matter. "I never sssaid I would not eat it, brother." He calmly rasped, "Although, ssspeaking of eating an unfit Judge... Have we ever told you about the Resssyc facility in the Mega City? Imagine it, thousssandsss upon thousssandss of corpsssess, all being boiled down and processsed for food and consssumer productsss. Insssideousssly geniusss, and many of the citizensss had nary an idea about what wasss actually on their plate." Or they simply did not care. Insidious and genius at the same time, the superfiend had to hand it to them, sometimes the parallels between their two worlds came very, very close to each other when it came to atrocities performed for the sake of the greater good.

That aside, sticking the toe-stealer in a crate, and placing that crate in a dark, quite, empty place sounded absolutely delightful.

...Hm? Visit who? The alien glanced between the brothers, blinking in pure and obvious confusion. Clarity came from Mortis' response, inquiring if 'they' still lived at the Tavern. And the male pronouns...they must be referring to Veskur. The rabbit man's stance on Mortis was...unknown. A visit to see him may be a good idea... It would, after all, be a step in the direction of setting things straight and righting wrongs. The subject was touched upon briefly, which was perhaps for the best. Especially in light of how this discussion on dog discipline was turning.

Large dark blue eyes squinted as he stared Fear down. Happily accepting the refilled cup, Kev dipped a fingertip into his drink as he considered the ghoul's words. "But he's such a small dog, Fear. What if I kick him and shatter a rib? I'd really hurt him, and he'd never look at me the same way again." Chocolate brown eyes would stare up at Kev, accusing. You hurt me, master. All I did was love you! Why did you hurt me this way? The imagery made his bleeding heart clench. "I don't wanna hurt him Fear, I love him." An indignant pup, for sure, but still Oscar was his first pup! As for how Fear and Mortis came out...? Kev wisely made no comments on that subject. None of his business, just going to drink this tea mhm. Yessir. A dollop of honey was added to the tea, and he allowed it to set in the tea for a moment. Fear continued to uphold the ideal that strict discipline was the way to earn a dog's loyalty and servitude. "I don't want my dogs to do all of that. I don't want them to kill anyone, poop in a neighbor's yard, or be shot. I just want to give them a happy life and enjoy their company." The sheep headed corpse mumbled several words of vague agreement, obviously very distracted by his own thoughts. Perhaps he was thinking of Veskur again?

When Mortis did speak up, less distracted and more clear, it was with a suggestion. A compromise between the two views! Still not one Kev quite liked... A hand reached for his own neck, lightly rubbing against the scales as Kev imagined how he'd feel if he were punished with a shock collar. Now if it weren't a shock collar, things would be different... "Mmm..." Fingers curled around his own throat for a moment before dropping his hand back down into his lap. "They sound too...painful. Thank you for the suggestion, Mortis" Now what was this talk of starving? The scaly alien's owlish gaze reasserted itself back upon Fear with a blink. "It's fine Fear, I understand. You did what you had to do to survive, and I probably would have done it if I had to." There was a difference between getting to choose between dog soup and a cheeseburger, and having only the dog soup. Of course, as an alien that ate sunlight... He didn't have too much experience with starvation in the same way Fear did.

Returning his hands to his tea, Kev quietly absorbed his drink as Mortis spoke up once again. Apparently Kev was not too far from the mark... The mouthless alien shook his head lightly, indicating that he had not heard of this facility. Not by name, at least... As the ghoul went into rather gruesome detail however, it began to sound  familiar. Or perhaps such a facility was no longer surprising to him. Unsuspecting people, going about their city and their lives, not knowing that the food they ate came from corpses. Perhaps even the dead bodies of their loved ones... It sent a shiver of disgust down his spine. Kev covered it up pretty well, fingers tensing around the cup as his legs clenched together. "Mm... They managed to do that without any sign that their products were once bodies? No hair, no teeth, or nails?" Not the surprise one would expect in their meals.

By now, Fear seemed to be at his wit's end. Kev could sense those orbs rolling about, no doubt annoyed with his liberal ways. Too soft, too gentle. The suggestion of a crate sounded appealing! ...Until it was coupled with isolating the dog all alone in the basement. The alien hummed in thought, a deep sigh lurching from his chest. "I don't know about the basement...and the sensory deprivation... But isolating him in a crate would be a good idea. Some water, but no food and..." His gaze roamed the kitchen, looking for some stray bit of inspiration. Where to put an impetulant pup... His eyes fell upon the door into the laundry room, and it hit him. "Ah! He can go in the laundry room! Isolated, away from the other animals, and not much of a view." He glanced up at Fear, as if eagerly waiting to hear his judgement. Like a cadet waiting for assessment from his commanding officer.

Unaware of his brother's mental input, the ghoul pondered a little further on what he could bring. Eventually he decided that perhaps a mix of meat, fresh fruit, and beer would make for a nice apology gift. Both of them could enjoy it, and it would not give off the wrong impression. Although he would need to find a basket big enough for all of that...

Maybe he could stick it in a nice box and top it with a bow. A card could be a considerate touch too, perhaps. His attention directed itself to his brother as he finally spoke up, listening but knowing better than to turn his head to look at the fellow superfiend while his helmet was still open. "Hm, good. After hoursss I will have to pay them a visssit. Tomorrow, perhapss." He rumbled thoughtfully. The last thing he wanted to do was procrastinate. What would that say about him to Lunette and Veskur, or more, what would he say to them if he did decide to wait? "Hey I know I have been here for a few weeks, and been gone for over a month but I decided to come forth to you now and apologize after taking a rest stop at Kev's?' No, that would not do. He done enough damage without adding procrastination to it, regardless of the intent.

Speaking of that however, it appeared Kev was not so open to using a collar on his rowdy little pup. He nodded in agreement with his brother, adding to it; "Love isss painful, Kev." Mortis replied, nibbling on his biscuit. He knew firsthand just how painful it could be. "There isss nothing worssse than letting an animal walk all over you and this it isss in charge, and with an obssservant audience. If he actsss up and the othersss sssee he can get away with little to no consssequence, they will follow by hisss example inssstead of yoursss. Take my brother'sss advice." In this discussion it was clear who's side he would stubbornly stay on, that dog needed to be reigned in somehow. Likely if what he had seen on his walk with Fear had been any indication, it was not the first time he had taken a time-out between a layer of leather and a rotting corpse.

As his brother made his fatigue clear -likely with them both- the sheep-skulled superfiend grew silent, resigning to eat the rest of his biscuit while Fear gave his guypal an earful. The most he did was nod in agreement at certain portions, mainly where it was made clear that the dog was being too much of a handful for his own good and -of course- the suggestion of locking the dog away in a dark, lonely place.

"Mm... They managed to do that without any sign that their products were once bodies? No hair, no teeth, or nails?"

Mortis looked up from his biscuit, wisely deciding to look around Fear's back instead of his front when addressing the scaly creature. Although the ghoul's face lacked any flesh or skin to denote feeling or expression, Fear would be able to discern a distinct sensation that amounted to an exuberant "'Lemme tell ya somethin'!" While on the plus side, Mortis' melancholy was starting to finally wane, Kev may or may not be prepared for the truth that was about to be laid down. "There wasss no trace. I remember the facility asss Sssidney had ssseen it. The corpsssesss were ground up and boiled down in an extensssive processs. Thousssandsss per day, perhapsss even more if there wasss a crississs." Necropolis and the events of Chaos Day came to mind, naturally.

"Letsss sssee... There wasss the grinder, the ssseparating vatsss, the boilersss, hm. It isss admittedly impressssive when you consssider they lined the place with milesss of piping, all for the sssole purpossse of moving pulped human remainssss." He added after a small moment of silence, tossing the last bite of his biscuit into his maw and chewing thoughtfully. The ghoul could think of a more than a few uses for the facility if they converted it to their lawful doctrine. They could possibly forego the initial requirement of being a corpse and instead toss in the citizens while they were still alive. The screams would be a delightful addition to the sound of bones crunching beneath mechanical teeth.

"Ssss..." He could picture it now. Alas, those days were far behind either of the undead superfiends. Mortis looked back to his empty cuppa, considering it for a moment before speaking up. "May I pleasse have sssome more, brother?" He asked, mindful of tea time etiquette.

Ah... Kev could feel that fatigue and annoyance from all the way in his chair. The urge to yank at his collar rose up, as if such an action could dispel the tension. His fingers remained curled around his tea cup. No amount of collar tugging was going to help him now. His gaze remained on the tea in his cup as Mortis and Fear spoke among themselves. Little circular ripples appeared in the brown liquid in response to his fingertips tapping against the ceramic cup. Such a selection of alcohols...some of which he'd never even heard of before. Pilsners? Sounded more like a sneeze. Wonder what it tasted like? Unsurprisingly, Fear was in agreement with Mortis when it came to shock collars.

"You asssked for my sssuggessstion and I gave it to you, you alssso asssked knowing what I usssed to do and what I represssent. Honessstly, who'sss sssurprisssed here?"

...If anything was surprising, it was that. Kev's gaze snapped up from his drink, staring at Fear in confusion. Where had that come from? Fear was already quite upset with him, and now that Kev was hesitant with his suggestions... It was making the ghoul even more upset. Today was really turning out to be great... The lean alien heaved a heavy sigh, and held a hand out towards Fear, almost imploring. "Well, I'm not surprised. I asked for your suggestion so I could better discipline him. Even though I disagree with some of your ideas, I'm trying to use them. I'm just not comfortable doing something like kicking a dog..." Fear had been a Dark Judge, but Kev knew him to be an intelligent man. He trusted Fear, and he trusted his suggestions. But some also conflicted with Kev's own sense of self. If an option felt uncomfortable, usually it was for a reason. It didn't feel right. Shouldn't he follow that feeling? Or should he trust Fear more?

Mortis spoke up in agreement with Fear, insisting that love was painful. Boy, was he preaching to the choir. Love was great, wonderful in many ways, but in no way was it easy. Kev could feel it in his very heart right now, love could be painful. The alien sagged in his chair, bouncing a foot lightly. "Mm... Everything you two are saying makes sense..." Kev wanted to take Fear's advice, he really did, but he didn't want to inflict harm upon his beloved pets. Of course, he couldn't keep his pets comfortable forever, could he? Life wasn't like that. If they had to be uncomfortable, maybe... Maybe he could do it in the name of teaching them to behave. Maybe a swat on the nose...?

"Now I know how Ssstevensss felt like..."

Speaking of painful, boy! Kev's scales bristled in response, a deep and shooting sort of sensation rippling down his torso. The alien was all puffed up in his chair, shoulders hiked up to nestle his skull snugly between them. Too soon, too late, it didn't matter. That was...harsh. "Mmm..." He tore his gaze away from Fear, frustrated tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. It was still so early in the day. This was not how he figured the day would start. Stealthily reaching a hand up to rub at his eyes, his pupils glanced back at Fear as the ghoul began anew. Aye... Kev always had an issue with punishment.  Oscar was becoming a problem during morning walks. This had to be changed. If Kev felt like a cadet waiting for his commander's assessment before, he definitely felt like one being admonished now. After he'd already messed up the day as well.

"...I agree to crate him and isolate him." Kev complied, even though he felt like he shouldn't speak up yet. "I'll put him in the basement too. He can be crated in there." It was where Fear wanted Oscar to go, right? Power, position, being the Master of the dogs... Kev's head rolled forward, nodding in languid submission. "Yes sir. You are right, Oscar has been disobedient and as Master, I... It is my job to teach him the right behavior. I must...remind them of my rank." He had been lenient with Nym, and he remembered how it felt when others judged his lenient parenting. What would others think of him as a pet owner? Love or not, desiring to treat them like people or not, he was the owner. The owner had to step up. It was rather tempting, when he saw how easily Fear could command most of the animals. Kev didn't want to make them obey... But then, that left only one option to get their obedience, yes? "I will be a better owner and master." A better everything.

No longer puffy in his chair, his scales had by now relaxed flat against his body. His shoulders no longer hitched up, and the alien didn't feel like bursting into frustrated tears. More than anything, he just felt tired. And it wasn't just his own fatigue he felt. The alien wanted to grab his own skull, massage all feeling away and apologize. Now wasn't the time, especially as Mortis seemed to be bucking right back up. Kev had nearly forgotten the question he asked Mortis, blinking as he looked to the other ghoul. Right, the facilities. Ground into a powder, boiled up in giant vats. Thousands... Thousands in a day! Kev doubted that many people died even in the Breach, at least on a daily basis. He huffed out a light sigh, more out of an awed sort of feeling than fatigue this time. "Tulsit..." A light shiver went down his spine at the thought of pureed people traveling down miles of pipeline. Guuuuh...

The cup was held closer, and tipped lightly to pour some of the drink into his own palm. Absorbing the drink and trying not to think too hard about the details, he nodded. "They put a lot of work into those facilities." A lot of hard, diligent work though it made him feel uneasy. All he'd ever seen of Deadworld had been the expansive piles of bones... Learning more about the actual world that created the man he loved was a little frightening. Kev really wouldn't have lasted a day... He worked on consuming his cuppa, not yet asking for more. He was fine as is, since he'd only just received a refill.

The sheep-skulled ghoul was still mulling over his plans for an attempted visit when he suddenly detected a disturbance. A very irritated, bug-eyed, one that was sitting right next to him.

"Are you daft? Don't give them a card! For Chrissst'sss sssake, man - you indirectly got one of her dearessst friendsss KILLED."

Oh dear. Mortis's posture curled inward, his bony shoulders tensing with a series of sharp pops and crackles at his brother's outburst. Immediately his skeletal tail whipped up to press against the side of his emaciated thigh, pushing dents into his leathers. "A-apologiesss, brother!" He quickly hissed, the bone of his snout snapped to point down at the table. "I-I am ssstill trying to figure out the proper methodsss... Y-you are right, a card would be a terrible idea." The superfiend agreed with a stiff nod.

...But he had always intended to go in person.

Nonetheless, Mortis abstained from saying anything further, especially when his brother grunted and muttered. The sheep-skulled undead should have known better, given everything he had caused. Everything he had made his brother suffer through and even forced to step into when everything could have been averted with a little more thought; more consideration. Mortis softly sighed and decided to keep his eye sockets focused on the counter top for the time being. Love could be great, love could be wonderful... But when had Mortis ever made it either of those things? All the more reason he decided it to be for the best that he stayed far away from it, for him it simply was not meant to be, and he did not need a third attempt to prove in full what he already knew. He did not want to know what new disaster a third attempt would bring him or the unfortunate fool who thought to humor him.

He was unfit, he was unworthy of something that beautiful... There was no reason to long after something that was never meant for a monster like himself. Why Mortis even thought to bring up the topic in conversation was beyond him.

But, he had to reign himself in. His brother could clearly hear everything he was thinking, and he wouldn't want to spoil morning tea with a mindset that would aggravate him further. As swiftly as the ghoul considered his prior beliefs, he quickly turned his thoughts to something more upbeat. That something being the massive corpse-grinder in Mega-City One.

To each their own.

"Thank you, brother." He rasped contentedly, accepting the refill graciously before taking another sip. This time, the superfiend was wise to keep his bony mouth shut and simply listen to the conversation until either of them addressed him. Soon, Kev was one to speak up, uttering some odd saying alongside a sigh of awe and a quiet attempt to not think too hard about a facility that essentially recycled corpses into food. The ghoul took another deep sip of the dark, steaming liquid. "Yesss, and ten timesss the effort wass put into keeping it running... Have you ever heard of an occupation where maintenance conssisssted of cleaning mixture of pureed human remainsss and acidic ressidue from piping? I certainly haven't until I found out about that facility." He paused for a moment, catching an off detail in the alien's thoughts. "Alasss, we never had ssuch a thing on Deadworld. Ressyc wass purely unique to Mega City One." He calmly corrected, it was Mortis' own fault for not specifying, really.

Regardless, it sure made one think...

Yeeah... A card was not the best idea. Perhaps if paired with a gift, but on its own? Mmm... Kev had previously left a gift and card on Lunette's doorstep, apologizing for being a tad insensitive. Hearing the brothers discuss proper apology etiquette, Kev wondered if he should have stayed behind to speak with Lunette in person...? Then again, Kev's mistake was a slip of the metaphorical tongue. Mortis' mistake was...a little bigger. "As long as you're genuine, I think you'll be alright, Mortis." The alien reassured gently, giving Mortis a soft look to encourage him. Lunette may have been hurt by what happened, but she was a very kind woman. So long as Mortis was properly repentant, Kev didn't think she'd kick him out and continue to hold a grudge. Of course, things might not ever be the same as they once were either... But, that could be dealt with in time.

One scaly brow quirked upwards in amusement, stealing a glance at Fear as the ghoul pretty much spoke Kev's thought! Wonder if Fear had that thought first, or did Kev himself? Perhaps they both just happened to have it at the same time? Ah, the wonders of a mental bond. Amusement aside, the alien did take care to actually pay attention to what was being said. Pets had a tendency to follow whoever was the leader, and from Mortis and Fear were advising... Oscar being an ornery little jerk would convince the others that acting the same way was fine. "Mm..." He gave a small nod to show he understood, remaining quiet.

Clacking sounded, Fear's long nails rapping against the marble counter and Kev kept his gaze stubbornly upon his cup. He thought the sound to be one of deep annoyance, or perhaps anxiety. As much as he wanted to grasp the ghoul, plant his iron helm snugly against his own chest, and apologize for being a jerk... Well, one mustn't be so bold when your guypal's brother was visiting. The scaly alien only glanced up as Fear addressed him, with a mighty emphasis upon his name that almost drew a flinch. "I am facing the facts, Fear. That's why I agreed with the punishment you suggested." Kev replied, with tired eyes and a soft voice. "And besides, I probably deserved that. I hurt your feelings too. I'm sorry that I did."

Letting the apology hang in the air for a moment, he slouched in his chair with a sigh. "You are also right. Oscar is my pup, my first pup... I love him, and I still remember the first time I held him. But he's becoming a problem. You walk the dogs for me, and Oscar's beginning to make that troublesome for you. As owner of him, it's my job to curb that behavior." Much like being a parent, owning a pet wasn't all about having fun. "I do think it is right that I discipline him. I just refuse to beat him, or any of the animals." Kev's head perked back up, a bit of renewed vigor in his gaze as he looked back to his guypal. "You have every right to judge, since you help me with the animals, Fear. If you were a stranger down the street, that'd be different. But you live here too. You deserve a say, right? If you have concerns...you're allowed to voice them." Their's was a partnership, and that meant they both had equal say, and a voice. Fear had brought up a good point, if a hard, bitter one to swallow. It was not something to brush off or ignore, just because it made Kev uncomfortable. "I mean it, Fear. I will discipline Oscar and...make sure he's no longer a problem." Kev vowed with a small nod to Fear.

Mmm... An awful maintenance job indeed. Kev winced at the very thought of scouring pipes for residue left by pureed human remains and acid. "It sounds like a treacherous job. If so much effort is needed to do that work, I'm surprised they keep at it. Do they just have that many spare dead bodies lying around...?" And with no proper place to bury them? The alien snapped to attention with a sharp blink, wincing as he realized he'd been mistaken. Ah, so this facility didn't exist on Deadworld at all. It belonged to Mega City One, where their nemesis Judges came from. "Ah, sorry. My mistake. I guess that makes Mega City One not much better than your own home world, right?" How interesting that a city with such a ghastly practice also housed the force that opposed the Dark Judges.

"As long as you're genuine, I think you'll be alright, Mortis."

As if whether he was genuinely remorseful could come into question.

"Hm." Mortis' gaze still remained fixed to the countertop. Hurt was an understatement, he killed her best friend, and remained absent while his brother had to carry out his execution and console the grieving woman. It did not top having essentially wiped his own mind of his memories and dragged his brother into a similar lobotomized state of mind, but it was just as devastating for the parties he had transgressed. Something gently prodded at the back of his mind, a familiar sensation that bore an icy chill. His brother now was offering his words of advice and perhaps trying to give some uplifting inspiration.

...No, brother. Here it isss necesssary. I made her sssuffer like I had made you and Kev sssuffer thisss passt sssummer. I took away sssomeone important to her, jussst asss I had taken you away from Kev for an entire month, and Kev from you. Mortis' reply was distant, ponderous as he rationalized his decision. It isss the ssecond time thiss hass happened. The sssecond time I had blundered and another paid dearly for it. I-I think it isss clear that... That I am not meant for thisss type of happinesss. But you needn't worry about deconssstruction, I have no intent of repeating the eventsss of thisss passt sssummer. Perhaps friendship would be a better route, or just having some acquaintances that he did not mind spending time with. Otherwise, the ghoul was hoping it would be as Kev thought it would, that things would not be the same. He did not want to repeat his aura seeping onto her person and endangering her, he did not want another month where his negligence got someone killed without him having to raise a single talon. If Lunette kept her distance from him, he would not care if she never even looked his way again, so long as she no longer was at risk of suffering through another unintentional loss.

The best thing she could for herself do was move away from him and stay away.

...Just as the best thing Mortis could do was apologize and mend what he could.

The superfiend remained silent through the conversation about the dogs once again, content to listen while they worked out the proper methods for dealing with a rowdy pup. He lifted the tiny cup to his mouth and took another sip, attempting to savor the tea that remained. Alas, it was easier said than done when one's tongue was little more than a rotten length of dead meat in their mouth. He tried to remember the warmth it gave off, the bitter taste that he found so relaxing. Once Resyk was mentioned again he turned his attention towards Kev, looking over his brother's back to avoid accidentally catching his lethal gaze. "The Mega-City had an expansssive unemployment problem. Mosst of the city'sss occupantsss were without work, any open posssition where they were earning their own money inssstead of relying on the Jussstice Department wasss welcome with open armsss. Even the mossst dissgussting of occupationsss." He explained, remembering the biscuit in his claws as he took another bite. "It wasss alsso heavily overpopulated... At leassst until we ssstarted thinning them out alongssside the numerousss calamitiesss that befell that hellisssh place." Surprisingly his brother decided to chime in on the subject, the sheep-skulled ghoul listening before giving a nod and a soft sound of realization.

"My brother isss correct, the upper classs did not need to participate in the recycling processs." Mortis agreed, eating the rest of his biscuit before continuing. "And thossse who were richer paid to keep themssselvess from dying at all. Of coursse, their exissstence wass in a perpetual coma, plugged into a masssive life-sssupport machine. Ssshould they have died, I doubt they would have ever realized their own passsing." Though it was definitely odd that the building was skipped over during their necropolis, there was no doubt that the bodies that were kept on life-support looked to be of the proper ripeness. Though letting them live was questionable morally to their principles... What harm was there in keeping a few fresh hosts at the ready, especially when they would not be going anywhere?

"Mm, two sssidess of the sssame coin, in fact. Dredd wasss no better than Death, in many asspectsss. Their only difference wasss their moral sstanding." The ghoul hissed, turning his attention back to his cuppa as he drank the rest.

Aside from a thoughtful hum, Mortis had gone quiet, and Fear had not commented on the subject any further. At least, neither had broached the topic as far as Kev could hear. The former Judges had actually taken their topic to the mind, which was probably for the best. As much as Kev wished to help, he might not have the tools and words necessary to assist Mortis through this. The alien did not know Mortis well enough to navigate him through this, and so as the kitchen lapsed into a momentary silence, Kev kept his attention busy on absorbing his tea. One of the lemon slices seemed to call his name, feeling temptation to take one and add it to his drink. Kev made a small mental note to actually try and eat a lemon slice next time he ever turned human...

"I'm glad to hear it, Kev."

Kev bowed his head lightly in turn. He may not have liked hearing what Fear and Mortis had to say, and some of their suggestions had been objectionable...but that didn't mean they were huffing hot air. Even if it was difficult, what felt right was taking what they advised into consideration. Though now it seemed his guypal felt a little awkward. The scaly alien was a smidgen awkward as well, gaze peeking to look into the opened helm. "Thank you Fear. You're forgiven, and I'm sorry for being an insensitive jerk." The ghoul could be abrasive, and Kev could be insensitive. Bringing up Tally may have stung, but his guypal was a consistently loyal and loving partner. Abrasiveness came few and far between, nowadays! "You're not alone, either. I'm a product of a flawed system too. One with mud huts and decapitated chickens..." The green gremlin added with a coy wink and a small chuckle. Hopefully that joke could help lighten the mood and the awkwardness.

Catching on to their discussion of how Mega City disposed of their dead, Fear seemed to answer Kev's question. Whether he did it intentionally was another thing entirely... But! The former Judge confirmed that their dead body problem was an awful one. Mortis confirmed that a job issue was prevalent as well, to the point that they'd happily scrub pipes filled with pulped human remains if it put food on the table. Kev set his cup down to rest on the table, hands retreating to his own lap and leaving a nearly empty cup. "Right, these are all reasons why you four were trying to kill all of the living in that universe, yes?" He remembered these explanations and details as Fear explained his philosophies all that time ago. Too many mouths to feed that starved in the streets, better to kill them and show mercy. Not enough jobs, lead to the same issue. "Even without interference from you and others, that city was doomed."

What was particularly awful, was that the rich got to keep their loved ones buried in the ground and not into a pulp! Kev had been informed of other ways where the rich got to have certain necessities over the poor, but this was a new one! The alien huffed, a mighty snort through his nostrils. "That's just awful. If the poor have to eat their loves ones, so should the rich. I imagine there aren't that many rich people anyway..." Not with a system like that. As for Fear's bastardization... "You did what you had to do, and I suppose that facility also did what it had to do. Only the rich got to escape from such consequences." Judge Death's plans for such a city were beginning to sound more and more logical... With a system so corrupt and twisted, what could one do?

"Sounds like an awful way to live, just to avoid dying..." Why not just allow themselves to be killed shortly after entering the coma? Why try living like that forever? The thought was disturbing, an endless and long-lasting slumber. Did people in comas even dream...? Lacing his fingers together, Kev considered the morality of Dredd and Death. Even the names were similar. "Many people have to worry about that. Even people with the greatest of intentions, could become exactly what they face." He'd seen it happen time and time again.

Little else needed to be said thankfully, and while his brother may or may not understand his decision he did not make any attempt to argue. After all, Mortis' judgement, once he made it, tended to be absolute. He gave a small nod in acknowledgement of Fear's parting statement, his empty gaze still resting upon the countertop. Was it a dreary decision? Certainly, and should things have not gone not so sour perhaps he would have been more open to grasping the same happiness that Fear held. But there was far more evidence that supported him being unworthy of it, and his judicial side simply could not let himself slide.

Given his prior profession, that side was a very big, stubborn, loud one.

Although the comment regarding the mudhuts and decapitated chickens managed to draw a small chuckle from Mortis as well. Much like Fear, he knew better than to comment any further on it, including his thoughts on purging. As for their reasons for purging the Mega City, the superfiend took his attention away from trying t focus on his cup of tea to respond alongside Fear. "Correct. However our leader'sss reasssoning warped ass the yearsss went on." What had been a righteous crusade for justice had quickly boiled down to petty conquest and a frustrated rivalry within a few decades. His bleached skull nodded in agreement as his brother noted that the city was doomed before they even arrived.

"Sssss... buying the farm." It sounded so good, it was a wonder that every citizen in that accursed city did not think to do so instead of try and scramble for their short, meaningless lives every time demise reared its head. Lives that were filled with greed, with lust, with sin. "If we ssstopped focusssing on Dredd and Anderssson, we likely would have found an effective meansss to purge the Mega City inssstead of sssitting around in glassseen for yearsss on end." He hissed, finishing his cuppa and setting it aside. As for the rich having to face the same consequences as the poor, the superfiend gave a small shake of his head. "Not while we were dissspenssing jussstice. Everyone wasss guilty, whether a sssinner wass rich or poor did not matter. We purged their mossst sssecure building once. Ebony Clock, I believe wasss the name."

Good times, Necropolis... A pity it did not last.

But he supposed all things must come to an end. Mortis' thoughts mingled with his brother's reminiscence of dying, a sensation that was familiar, and shared in its comfort. "Dying isss good, it isss easssy." He agreed, and maybe if he managed to find a way to pass through the eye of eternity again, he would know the peace that it brought too and finally rest.

Until then, however....

"Moral ssstanding, ssschmanding. Both are judicial zealotsss, both have committed atrocitiesss in the name of jussstice, and both are too far up their own assssholesss to rightfully budge on anything."

His brother certainly had a point. Mortis did not know a time when Death ever made a decision that was for his brother's best interests and not his own goals. In fact... it was the lieutenants that tended to look after each other more often than not. Death hardly hesitated when he said that they needed to keep purging the Mega City after they thought Fear had been destroyed. "I sssuppossse we jeopardized oursss little over a year after we arrived here, brother." He hissed after a moment of thought, his own returning to a conversation he had his brother had over a couple of beers and whatever was under the sink in the farmhouse.