Despair's Insanity - an II x DR fic

BIL - 5

"Well?" Candle approached the two with a wide grin on her face, and Bomb quickly took a step back.

"We're fine," he hastily replied as he tried to get away. However, she wasn't budging, and even ruffled Apple's hair.

"Well, maybe the little one should also get to answer!" Apple's eyes were wide with shock, and she glanced back at me before she could even think of what to say.

"I'm twenty-five," was all she could manage. Candle laughed, as if that were some sort of joke, and I could see her gaze fall onto Bomb again, who now had grabbed Apple's hand to pull her into the kitchen.

"Are you two planning to cook something?" Candle asked. "You know it's dangerous to cook when you only have one arm, until you get your prosthetic, I would recommend having someone do it for-"

"No." Bomb rolled his eyes. "I- I- I'm g-goinnnng to be fine. If I n-nn-need help, I have Ap-p-p-p-"

"Apple?"

"...Yes. Apple." Bomb's eyes lost their energetic shine, and he stalked off with Apple. Of course, Candle followed, and I did as well, hoping that I could get her to cut out any of... that behavior if it got too far.

"I just want to help you two," Candle continued as Bomb silently instructed Apple to open the cookbook in her hand to the page of what she wanted, and the two got some ingredients. "Bomb, you have to understand, all I want is to be kind and helpful to all, but they always reject my advances to further our collective progress."

She stepped closer to him, about to grab his shoulder, but Apple nudged her. "Hey! You know we don't like it when you do that- so just go away!"

"Little one-"

"I'm TWENTY-FIVE."

"And yet, you have the drawing skills and intellectual ability of an infant."

Instantly, Bomb whipped his head back to look at Candle, a look in his eyes I couldn't even begin to describe. "W-W-What did you j-"

"You both are entirely hopeless. A child in an adult body, and someone who cannot even get out a complete sentence. I would ordinarily have patience for people who are this pathetically beneath the standard for humanity... but I've suddenly learned that it's a waste of my time. Helping you two is some horrid crime, so why don't I just give into your fantasies of staying miserable?" Apple grabbed Bomb's arm with a tight, knuckle-whitening grip, and Bomb shook his head.

"You need to leave," he said with his voice raised.

"But am I not helping in the way you wish for me to? So many of you people just want to be upset, so why don't I just contribute to your suffering? Make for an interesting moment, yes?" Candle laughed, her tone so casual despite the unhinged garbage she had just begun to spew. She shook her head slightly. "The only one who has ever accepted my help was Silver Spoon. He's become a fierce competitor in this game show of a world we live in! He and I both learned many things from one another, and I miss him dearly. He was so normal- and content- and the rest of you drain me of my will to just about live anymore."

Candle's head slowly turned in my direction, and her gaze shifted to one of pity, almost. "And you," she said softly as she approached me, "you have been through so much here. You've lost sight of what makes you... you. Isn't that interesting? Absolutely fascinating? This phenomena- it's unheard of when it's this rapidly onset! I would love to study what made you this useless..." She looked me up and down, a wide smile creeping up as she took the bracelet Apple had made me off my wrist, and ripped it in half effortlessly. "But you would never accept that offer. Now- I'm bored of this... so I will go. If anyone needs me, I will be in my hotel room."

The halves of bracelet laid on the floor, and while I could hear heavy breathing along with Bomb's concerned voice, I could only slowly get on my knees and try to find a way to fix my accessory. By the time I'd looked up to ask Apple what she could do, she had turned a ghostly pale as she had a quiet conversation with Bomb. Bomb turned to me, shook his head to essentially say I shouldn't bug her, and went right back to focusing on Apple.

I felt this weird, sinking feeling in my stomach as I got onto my feet, but I left regardless. I'd get breakfast upstairs.