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"Recluuuuuse~ Hey, you've been quiet lately. You don't usually talk much, but... You're especially quiet right now. Did something happen, hmm?" Shadow Milk asked with feigned sympathy, levitating in the air next to Pure Vanilla. It was easy to see that he was just mocking the blonde. Nothing more, nothing less.
Pure Vanilla rolled his eyes at the jester's question, not wanting to answer. He knows well that no matter what the reason for his behavior is, Shadow Milk will only mock his feelings. As always.
But this time, Shadow Milk does not intend to tolerate the taciturnity of his other half. Not today.
"I'm talking to you, Pure Vanilla. Answer," Shadow Milk said with a slight note of aggression, watching Pure Vanilla like a predator watching its prey. His heterochromic eyes never leave the Ancient even for a second.
At Shadow Milk's words, the recluse sighs heavily, but decides not to try his luck. He monotonously replies, "I'm fine, nothing happened". But of course, the Beast is not satisfied with this answer.
"Do you really expect me to believe that? Me, the Master of Deceit? I can see right through you, Silly Vanilly. Don't forget that."
A wide, intimidating smile spreads across Shadow Milk's face, making it clear that the recluse is really testing the patience of the Beast. His smile was almost never sincere. It was sometimes mocking, sometimes hiding a storm of anger and rage. But one thing always remained: that smile only exuded coldness.
"I just don't want to talk. Is there a problem with that?" Pure Vanilla replied irritably, frowning. His hands clenched into fists. He knows perfectly well what kind of trouble he's causing himself right now. But will it stop him? Of course not. "You're always bothering me and making fun of me, don't I deserve at least a minute of silence? I constantly put up with you and your idiotic, cruel nature. And what do I get in return, huh?"
Crack.
The point of no return.
The smile disappears from Shadow Milk's face almost immediately. His pupils shrank into narrow slits, still staring at the Ancient.
"I must admit, you hurt my feelings, Vanilla," Shadow Milk whispered quietly, but no less menacing. He flew around Pure Vanilla and looked him straight in the face, being at an insanely small distance from him. Pure Vanilla could almost feel the heavy breathing of the Beast on his face. "Do you really think you have the right to make such statements? ...Well, I'm impressed. But believe me, your suffering right now is not even close to what I've been through."
Pure Vanilla stared into his "friend's" eyes in silence for a few seconds. And then... He started laughing. Not because Shadow Mtlk said something funny or looked stupid, no. That laugh was laced with mockery, hatred, and sadness at the same time. It grew louder with each passing second, until the recluse grabbed Shadow Milk's wrist, squeezing it tightly.
"Do you really think you've suffered more than I have? Oh, of course... How could I forget? You have absolutely no friends, you are sad and lonely. What a pity."
Pure Vanilla's words were filled with coldness and bitterness, but there was a smile on his face at the same time. A cruel and sharp smile, not at all like the smile that Pure Vanilla had given the others before.
Shadow Milk became really furious after these words. He instantly snatched his hand out of Pure Vanilla's grip and knocked him to the floor of the spire, pinning him to the ground with his clawed hands.
"HOW. DARE. YOU!? You... You know nothing about me! NOTHING!"
Pure Vanilla bared his teeth, raising his voice in response.
"And what do YOU know about ME!? What do you know about what it's like to dedicate your whole life to others, always try to be kind and helpful, never hurt others, and end up in the hands of the Beast of Deceit!? Unlike you, even when I turned away from the truth, I did not spoil the lives of the other Cookies!"
"I know you VERY well! I know your every fear, every part of your personality! EVERY SINGLE ONE!" Shadow Milk almost growled, pressing Pure Vanilla even harder to the floor, unintentionally digging his claws into him.
"I've lost everything. You took away my friends, my kingdom... But YOU have your minions, you have this spire, and you have me, forever by your side. Why do I deserve this fate when you have it all and I'm left with nothing!? Why do you think that you know who I am, but at the same time, for some reason, I don't understand you in your opinion!?"
Pure Vanilla's eyes filled with tears, but he ignored them, continuing to stare at the Beast with hatred.
"I UNDERSTAND what it's like to be asked for answers, but you don't have any! I know this feeling perfectly well! You don't know how many times I've looked at those who begged me to answer the question of whether they would live. Of course, because I'm a healer. But for some reason, I fulfilled my role to the last, no matter how painful it was, until YOU appeared! "
After a few seconds, he forcefully pushed Shadow Milk aside, unable to contain his emotions.
Inside Pure Vanilla's soul, there is simultaneously self-hatred, hatred for Shadow Milk, anger, rage, sadness and despair. This storm of emotions rolled over the recluse, giving him no peace.
Why did he lose everything? Why did he have to suffer all this? Why?
He felt tears start to roll down his cheeks. They fall to the floor with a thud, leaving small drops. A sudden weariness from the outburst of emotion washes over Pure Vanilla, and he looks with some guilt at Shadow Milk, who was slowly getting up from the floor.
"I... I... I'm sorry. I can't talk right now. N-not now."
The recluse's hands began to shake slightly with anxiety as he walked as fast as possible to his room. His head was spinning constantly, making it difficult to walk. Even without that, it was difficult to walk in the spire, especially when Shadow Milk lost his temper. The structure was completely subservient to its owner, reacting to the slightest changes within him.
Also... There were many bright blue eyes all over the tower. They were always watching what was happening here, Pure Vanilla had known this for a long time. But now they were nowhere to be found. Well, maybe it's for the best.
The walk to his room took what felt like forever. Time was flowing strangely in this place, which added even more problems to the already not-so-good situation.
Pure Vanilla hurried into the room, closing the door behind him. His breathing was ragged and too fast, but there was nothing he could do about it right now.
"I... I just need to calm myself down. Everything will be alright."
Pure Vanilla slowly sat down on the bed that Shadow Milk had so "kindly" provided for him. Everything in this place reminded him of this Beast, which the recluse did not want to think about at all.
Why did he tell Shadow Milk everything he had in his heart? It was the stupidest thing to do. He shouldn't have snapped like that...
Guilt for the lack of control over his emotions rolled over Pure Vanilla, eating him from the inside out. Pure Vanilla's mind was filled with the most violent and disturbing thoughts. It was a terrible feeling.
But the worst part was that there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing could calm him down at the moment.
Except for one thing.
Sighing heavily, Pure Vanilla reached with a shaking hand for a small blade lying on the bedside table. He promised himself several times that he would stop doing this. But now he was desperate, with no idea what to do with his emotions.
. . .
"Candy Apple, I don't think that's a good idea," Black Sapphire speaks calmly with a hint of fatigue in his voice, sitting next to Candy Apple.
"Ugh, why!? Shadow Milk would be happier without this Pure Vanilla! You saw what that idiot did just now! How dare he yell at our Master!?" Candy Apple answers, pouting slightly.
In response, Black Sapphire rubs the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes for a few seconds. He had no idea how he managed to live with this troublemaker.
"Listen, I have an idea. We can just calm the two of them down after their... little fight. This would be the most rational solution. You'll calm down our Master, and I'll calm down Pure Vanilla. How does that sound?"
Candy Apple's eyes light up with a joyful light upon hearing Black Sapphire's words. She definitely wouldn't mind spending time with Shadow Milk.
"KYAHAAHA! REALLY!? Yes, Sappfy! This is a great solution!"
"I'm begging you, don't do anything stupid. I only agreed to this because I don't trust leaving you in the same room with Truthless Recluse," Black Sapphire answers in a serious tone, after which he walks with measured steps towards
Pure Vanilla's room. At the same time, Candy Apple almost ran to look for Shadow Milk, happily murmuring compliments to her beloved Master.
"Hmm... Pure Vanilla definitely won't be happy if I walk into his room with a theatrical smile on my face. It's going to look like I'm discounting his problems," Black Sapphire said softly to himself, thoughtfully looking at the floor under his feet. "And I have to be extremely careful not to bring him to even stronger emotions..."
Black Sapphire found Pure Vanilla's room pretty quickly. The door to his room contrasted strongly with the white, black and blue colors of the spire, so that it was clearly visible.
The radio host knocked gently on the door, waiting for an answer, but it never came.
"Pure Vanilla, may I come in?"
Silence again. Not hearing a refusal, Black Sapphire hesitantly opens the door. His gaze immediately falls on the sitting figure on the bed.
And... immediately, a chill ran through Black Sapphire when he noticed the drops of blood on the floor. He took a deep breath, trying not to lose his composure.
Pure Vanilla was sitting on the bed, motionless, with his hands folded in his lap. His gaze was expressionlessly directed at the small blade he was holding in his hands.
An understanding of the whole situation finally formed in Black Sapphire's mind. Pure Vanilla was trying to deal with emotions in this way, right?
Black Sapphire slowly walked over to the bed and sat down next to Pure Vanilla. His actions were as careful as possible, as if if he moved again now, the recluse would disappear.
"Do you mind that I'm here?" Black Sapphire asked softly, trying to make his voice as calm and gentle as possible.
In response, Pure Vanilla quietly muttered "No. You can stay" without looking up at the radio host.
"Alright then. I think I had bandages in my room. I'll wrap them around your hands, okay?"
"..If that's what you really want, then I won't stop you."
A few minutes later, Black Sapphire was back in the recluse's room with bandages, carefully wrapping up the cuts. Black Sapphire chose not to ask questions without Pure Vanilla's permission for now, so as not to worsen his already poor condition.
There was only heavy silence between the two of them all this time. Black Sapphire broke it, finishing with bandages.
"I'm done. Should I leave or will you let me stay?"
".. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a question."
Black Sapphire looked at Pure Vanilla with mild interest, replying, "I'm listening".
"Why did you decide to come here? And I hope you understand that answers like "I just wanted to" are not accepted," Pure Vanilla said thoughtfully, looking up at the radio host for the first time in their entire meeting today.
Black Sapphire thought about the answer for a few seconds. To be honest, he didn't even think about the fact that he didn't seem to be friends with Pure Vanilla. But still, some conscience awoke in him and he decided to help the Ancient.
"Well, unlike Candy Apple, I don't hate you because of the attention Shadow Milk pays you. I'm rather... puzzled by it. But I think every other adequate person would do the same in my place," Black Sapphire finally replied with a nonchalant shrug. "Besides, forgive me for my words, but I wouldn't want your second breakdown."
Upon hearing this, Pure Vanilla gave a humph of satisfaction, accepting Black Sapphire's answer.
"I wouldn't want it either."
Black Sapphire smiled after the recluse's comment, chuckling softly. After that, he picked up his microphone, tapping it twice with his index finger.
"What is your favorite animal?"
Pure Vanilla was confused for a few seconds, not understanding why Black Sapphire needed this information. But in the end, he muttered a quiet "Sheep, I guess."
"Ahem! Mic test... One, two, three!..
The Wolf & the Lamb.
A stray Lamb stood drinking early one morning on the bank of a woodland stream. That very same morning a hungry Wolf came by farther up the stream, hunting for something to eat. He soon got his eyes on the Lamb. As a rule Mr. Wolf snapped up such delicious morsels without making any bones about it, but this Lamb looked so very helpless and innocent that the Wolf felt he ought to have some kind of an excuse for taking its life.
"How dare you paddle around in my stream and stir up all the mud!" he shouted fiercely. "You deserve to be punished severely for your rashness!"
"But, your highness," replied the trembling Lamb, "do not be angry! I cannot possibly muddy the water you are drinking up there. Remember, you are upstream and I am downstream."
"You do muddy it!" retorted the Wolf savagely. "And besides, I have heard that you told lies about me last year!"
"How could I have done so?" pleaded the Lamb. "I wasn't born until this year."
"If it wasn't you, it was your brother!"
"I have no brothers."
"Well, then," snarled the Wolf, "It was someone in your family anyway. But no matter who it was, I do not intend to be talked out of my breakfast.""
Black Sapphire was telling a fairy tale in his theatrical voice, but less loud and more calm. There was a small smile on his face that looked more sincere than usual.
And Pure Vanilla... Well, he was very tired after his breakdown. He slowly rested his head on Black Sapphire's shoulder, trying not to disturb him. It turned out that the radio host was not mind it at all.
"That's all for today! Ahem, mic off!"
Black Sapphire tapped the microphone twice again, after which he noticed Pure Vanilla's fatigue. No wonder, who wouldn't be tired after such an argument with their Master?
"By the way, I don't think Shadow Milk will bother you for a while after all of this. I told Candy Apple to go to him. I hope she can calm him down, otherwise... Well, we won't talk about it."
Pure Vanilla didn't say anything in response.
They sat in comfortable silence for a few more minutes, enjoying the quiet moment. Black Sapphire carefully ran his hand through Pure Vanilla's hair several times, trying not to disturb him too much. Both found the situation they found themselves in as strange as possible. But it wasn't that bad, was it?
"... Black Sapphire?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
"No problem."