/ OKAY IMPORTANT NOTE ! about val's zombification .
first things first , valentin does still have most mental capabilities that they did when they were still human . they aren't your typical brainless zombie , not yet at least .
however , when surrounded by blood and / or open wounds , a more primal part of val's brain will begin to take over , demanding that they consume the source of the blood . it takes a lot of effort for val to keep control over themself , but they still typically manage to , albeit there is an occasional slip up .
val needs to consume blood to sustain their current form . it is part of what drives their hunger , the fact that they know they will rot without consuming other humans .