Twenty Eight Truffula Trees

[whichwayyoulean]

[Friends]

[He'd meant to do this yesterday, but the Lorax arriving had thrown him off. Still, the forest guardian had done him some good. It meant he had to try to piece himself together again, or at least start to. But there was something more important to attend to now. After losing Zelos and House (the memory of watching the latter die engraved on his brain and refusing to leave) he needs to know...]

Okay guys, if you could tell me if you got out of that mess now would be a really great time. Don't make me come looking for you, because I'm pretty sure someone in here will drag me back to bed before I can pathetically shuffle as far as the door. We'd be at it all day.

Just...check in.

[Mom]

[He didn't want to make this filter. He'd rather her not know where he is. Perhaps, even, he has the smallest hope her visit in the castle was brief. Enough to shake him up before she went home again. One last wonderful stab in the chest to remember her by.

...But she's still his mother. And he still needs to know if she's okay]

I asked after you. Where were you? Are you still here?

Comments

Once-ler

[courageous_wit]

I'll drop by, then. I think seeing me in person may help you be sure I'm all right.

Hermione

[whichwayyoulean]

Great. And it really would. After all, this could be a magic spell for all I know.

[Look at him, attempting humour to make the situation suck less]

action!

[courageous_wit]

[down she goes, coming into the clinic and offers him a faint smile]

Do you think it's a spell now?

forever!

[whichwayyoulean]

[He really is glad to see her there and alive]

Nope. Pretty sure you're real now. Unless you want me to pinch you to be sure, but you might slap me for that and I'm kinda full up on the injury list already.

[courageous_wit]

I think we'll be all right without the pinching. [she sits by his side, smiling]

[whichwayyoulean]

Good to know. [He offers her the briefest of smiles, settling down against his pillows again]

And so ends another fun filled trip to space. I've got to say, the castle's latest theme? Not liking it.

[courageous_wit]

It isn't usually so focused. The Space Olympics, the thing that fell from the sky, the ship crash-landing on the expedition, and now this... It's strange.

[whichwayyoulean]

I wonder if the place finally lost it. I mean, that other caste went nuts, didn't it? The drac-whatever it was?

[courageous_wit]

You make a good point. But if that's true, what does that mean for us?

[whichwayyoulean]

Nothing good, I bet.

[courageous_wit]

[gives him a sad smile] Does it ever mean something good?

[whichwayyoulean]

Probably not. That's just par for the course, with Paradisa, right?

[courageous_wit]

Yes. ... Oh! I almost forgot, I have something for you. Our picture from the May Day ball. I developed it.

[she takes out her bag and pulls out a photograph. Don't worry, Once-ler, there's no movement]

[whichwayyoulean]

[That does bring a much stronger smile to his face, as he takes it from her. It's strange, how quickly such a happy moment turned into something else]

Hey, it came out pretty good.

[courageous_wit]

I'm glad you like it. Consider it a very late birthday gift.

[whichwayyoulean]

It's great. I'll treasure it forever.

[courageous_wit]

[aww she smiles, squeezing his shoulder since he looks too banged up for a proper hug]

[whichwayyoulean]

[He's glad for that, so very glad. No horrible painful ribs]