Despair's Insanity - an II x DR fic

BIL - 6

Y'know... I'm not a very good storyteller- Tea Kettle always told me that when we were back on Indefinite Island. I always tried to tell the gang some stories to pass the time, but it got sort of tiring after a while.

I do remember one story though that had been plaguing my mind ever since I had been confined to my hospital. A time when Tea Kettle had made everyone dinner somehow and we were eating in a large circle. Everyone was having dinner except Blueberry of course, who always tried to eat away from us.

After the first few times, most of the others just ignored him and his let-down attitude. Even Tea Kettle got fed up with him eventually, and I don't entirely blame them for being frustrated. Of course, I was a little different, and I would always sit in a spot where I could see Blueberry if I looked up. I always thought having him in my sights would be comforting at the very least... and it was.

Now back to that one time. I looked up from my Stromboli to check on Blueberry, just as he finished one bite and looked at the ground with a little sigh. Without thinking about it, I got up and took my plate over to Blueberry, and I sat right down beside him. Blueberry didn't say anything, so I did.

"Hey Blue- how are ya?"

"..."

"Well? I'm not gonna back off 'til you gimme an answer!" I was trying to talk to him in a playful sort of way, and he must've noticed because he eventually smiled at me.

"I'm doing fine... I could be better, I guess. How about you?"

"I'm a lot better now that I know you're able to talk to me!" I nudged his shoulder, and his smile actually grew a little bit as he rolled his eyes.

"I'm always able to talk, I just prefer to listen." Blueberry looked to the crowd. "They all don't really like my outlook anyway, which is weird because I see myself as quite an optimist."

"Optimist? I- I mean- if that's what you wanna call it, sure! But hey- let's try talking about each other's day- or hobbies or something!"

"...Ok."

Was that story eventful? No, but it doesn't need to be, since that's how our friendship started... out of sheer boredom. Blueberry loved to take his time with recovering, and I loved to help him with the baby steps. He's not super different from back then- especially since he's only particularly comfortable around me and a couple other Indefinite Islanders, but he's different enough that he's happier nowadays (when you subtracted the current circumstances).

I thought about him a lot, and yet I never seemed to have the willpower to go and talk to him. Today was no different, as I ate my applesauce and tried pacing around Bomb's room for a while. Maybe I could ask to be Blueberry's roommate? But- there was the added factor that he had still been interested in a way that I simply... wasn't, and never would be.

The tape he showed me was nice though. If I got out, I could see TK again. From what Nickel said, she was safe and away from all of this dramatic stuff. That was all the hope I had outside, now that Box had passed away.

Nobody came into the room for the rest of the day, even as I laid there and played mindless games, or solved crossword puzzles that Bomb had smuggled away in his dresser (surely he wouldn't mind me borrowing some activities when he can freely do things without exhaustion).

As soon as night fell upon us, and Bomb walked in with Apple, I sat up from Soap's bed slightly.

"Hey! What all happened today?"

Apple shrugged. "Not much. We visited Oj, sort of? He was locked up in his room and told us he didn't want to talk. So... we left, and then we talked to Microphone a little bit about Candle. Did you know Microphone's really cool? Loud- but- cool!" I chuckled a bit at Apple.

"Yeah I know. She's really good at this whole coping thing. Meanwhile I suck."

"That's not true- everyone's just different." Apple sat across from me on Soap's bed with a tiny smile. "I bet you I'd be pretty sad too if my girlfriend died! And if I never got to see her again... one of my girlfriends is kind of a ghost."

"A ghost?"

"Yeah- I'm with Bow and Marshmallow. Bow's in the purgatory mansion... but I don't know if it's even still around anymore. I don't know what's going on out there- but I really hope Marsh is ok! I don't know if anyone is around to recover her, and since she might be recoverable, she might also never become a ghost." A bit of silence followed after that, and I could see the nervous look on Apple's face. "I don't think she'd let anyone hurt her if MePhone was gone, but it's still..."

She turned away, but I knew exactly what she meant. I felt the same way, to an extent, about others. I slowly reached over and put my hand over hers.

"She's probably fine- Marshmallow is probably really tough."

"She is tough. Strong, tough, sweet, and loving- and- and I miss her. If Bomb hadn't been here- I would've gone crazy by now!"

Bomb's eyes seemed to light up a little bit at that comment, but he didn't say anything and sat on his bed to prepare to sleep. The more I thought about it, the more I empathized with Apple... even if she did kind of scare me way back when.

"It'll be ok. Marshmallow will be fine- and Bomb will be fine. If something happens by some miracle, I'll try to be here for you too. You won't be alone, I promise." I was back at my corny little speeches, but Apple didn't seem to mind, as she just looked at me with uncertainty, but eventually softened her expression as she lunged forward to hug me.

I hugged her back, but we stayed silent after that. I think... I passed out shortly after, so I wouldn't really know.