464 ❀

[ino]

[Wagon Filter]

[It's kind of funny, really, the difference between the travel party on the way out and now on the way back. Everyone seemed pretty excited or in a generally decent mood on the way out, but now ... it seemed like everyone was dragging. Exhausted, upset, quiet. It worries Ino to see how much what's happened seems to have taken a toll on everyone. But she's a little surprised to see that Once-ler -- even considering his usual reclusive tendencies -- had wandered far away from the group and had been very much keeping to himself.

Naturally, the best thing to do is to bother him, then! Even without her promise to Zelos that she'd keep an eye on him, she is worried about him. So she'll jog back to the wagon and hop onto the front seat casually]

Knock, knock.

[Anyone there?]

Comments

[ino]

I don't care if you think you deserve it! Nobody deserves to be alone like that.

[she takes one hand off his shoulder to jab at his chest with a finger] And you aren't going to be, not while you're here. [the way she says it is like she would say a proven fact. the sky is blue. the grass is green. and she is never going to leave you alone]

[whichwayyoulean]

They do if they've destroyed everything and everyone that mattered, Ino. I wouldn't be alone if I hadn't forced everyone to leave.

[That's something scary about that, too. Comforting, too. In a weird way. After all, after the Lorax left him; the one being who had kept TRYING with him regardless of how little success he'd had, he'd resigned himself to being alone forever] You so sure of that? I still hold to my driving people away argument when you guys dragged me out on this thing in the first place.

[ino]

You made a mistake. I get it. We all get it. People do stupid things, they fuck up and they regret what they've done. But you can't punish yourself forever. [a pause. well, technically, he CAN, but ...] I won't let you. Not when you can try to change things for the future.

It's a promise. And I don't break promises.

[whichwayyoulean]

See, that's the thing. I do break promises. I break them all the time. I'm really not worth it, but you and the others...you just never get that.

[He sighs, then quickly interjects before he ends up with another Shonen speech on his hands]

But I guess that's your prerogative. [When he eventually screws them all over, they can't say he didn't warn them]

[ino]

You're right, it is my prerogative. So you're just gonna have to deal with it, no matter what idiotic stuff you think about yourself.

[SO THERE]

[whichwayyoulean]

[That does get the smallest of smiles, even if he forever thinks everyone is making a huge mistake by investing themselves in him]

What fun times I have in store.

[ino]

[she grins]

All kinds of fun stuff. [she'll move to sit down next to him normally, again] I have a gift for you when we get back, actually.

[whichwayyoulean]

[Now THAT gets a curious look. 'Gifts' are not something he's used to getting]

...A gift? [Paaaaause] Why?

[ino]

I told you I was going to teach you how to plant things, didn't I?

[whichwayyoulean]

So you got me a...shovel?

[ino]

[she laughs]

No, I got you a plant.

[whichwayyoulean]

Oh... Thank you. [Pause What sort of plant? [ Because there's a 90% chance he'll kill it]

[ino]

You'll see. I think you'll like it, though.

[whichwayyoulean]

...Good. I think. Thanks all the same, though. It means a lot. [It really does]

[ino]

[she'll let her legs dangle off the seat, swinging them a bit as she talks]

Hey, it's important to you, right? So it's no big deal.

[whichwayyoulean]

It is a big deal. It's the biggest of deals.

[ino]

The biggest, huh? [she looks a little baffled, but amused]

[whichwayyoulean]

Yeah. It's a start, at least. If I can grow something, anything here... even if I know Ted fixes things in the future, I know I won't be a completely hopeless cause either.

[ino]

You'll be able to grow something. [again, she sounds completely, totally, 100% sure] Different plants require different kinds of soil, and water, and sun -- but you'll learn.

[whichwayyoulean]

I really hope I'll learn anyway.

...And I'm not, you know, cursed forever or something. [Because Lorax that would have just been HARSH, bro]

[ino]

Cursed? [she looks skeptical] I thought there wasn't magic where you came from.

[whichwayyoulean]

There's isn't.

...Well. Maybe there's a teensy tiny tiny little bit.

Maybe.

[ino]

[lmfao ...] Maybe?

[whichwayyoulean]

The Lorax may or may not have been magic.

I still haven't decided.

[ino]

How can you not know? If -- he? -- did magic stuff then he's obviously magic.