Thirty Five Truffula Trees

[whichwayyoulean]

[The Once-ler has been surviving the loss of the people he loves by burying himself into his work. By hiding away and ignoring everyone. Remaining in his nice, safe tower, away from the residents, away from everything.

But now he's standing in the hallway of floor five, staring at his new room. He knows it's his room, not only because he woke up in it, but because of that horrible, dreadful phrase in place of his name. He remembers that conversation only too well. It haunts him even now, after over a year of living in this place. Which way does a tree fall? The way it leans. Be careful which way you lean. The Once-ler hadn't been careful. And he'd fallen completely the wrong way, and taken everything else with him in the process.

He's already tried the tower, of course. It's empty, gutted, his safe haven completely wrenched away from him. He exhales, staring at that phrase again, his little UNLESSES already carving their way into the wood beside it, making matters worse. He knows one thing is clear, he can't stay here. Not like this. So, he picks up his journal, moving to sit just inside the doorway, his long legs curled up in front of him as he rests the book on his knees]

Anyone know if the town has any empty rooms right now?

Comments

[bezazzled]

Bezazzled. [Mabel is a stickler for details sometimes.] And totally!

[whichwayyoulean]

Oh right, my bad, the extra Z makes all the difference.

[bezazzled]

It's the brand difference. My grunkle was too cheap to go all out on an official Bedazzler.

[whichwayyoulean]

Man, that kind of blows. I know how that goes, though.

[bezazzled]

You have a cheapskate grunkle, too?

[whichwayyoulean]

More like a cheapskate graunt, but it works around the same way.

[bezazzled]

Is she single? Maybe they could hook up or something! --Wait, that is a terrible idea. Neither of us would get presents.

[whichwayyoulean]

Nah, she's married. [And disowned him, but details] Let's not unleash that kind of evil unto the world, Mabel. We'd never be forgiven.

[bezazzled]

You're right. They're bad enough on their own as it is.

[Except for all his faults, she does love her Grunkle Stan and he's expressed levels of tolerance in return.]

[whichwayyoulean]

And that's just how it should be.

[What is this love between people who share your gene pool? What is it like?]