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

[whichwayyoulean]

[He'd been thinking when she arrived at his wagon. Well, less thinking and more regretting than anything else. The departure of Ted had bubbled those not-very-healthy-at-all feelings of self loathing back to the surface.

He shouldn't have left the kid back in the castle. He should have stayed, or brought Ted with him. ...Though admittedly he wouldn't have wanted the boy to face those giant birds of death. Given what he'd been told, the kid wasn't used to nature of any description, let alone the sort that could kill him.

Still. This was just another thing he'd screwed up. He was starting to wonder if it was a never-ending cycle.

He blinks when Ino appears next to him, he'd pulled himself away from the main group for a reason after all. That said, it was foolish to think at least one of his dearest friends wouldn't come around eventually to bother him. He sighs, then, somewhat dryly:]

Who's there?

[ino]

Me.

[she'll smile; it was mostly a little joke to see if he was going to willingly talk to her, or if he was going to try and ignore her]

What's up?

[whichwayyoulean]

See, now you've just gone and ruined what could have been a very good knock knock joke.

[He still doesn't look at her, however. Instead, he looks upwards]

The sky. Also clouds.

[Yep. Hermit stage one, enjoy that, Ino]

[ino]

I don't really know any knock-knock jokes, sorry.

[and ... yeah, that is pretty concerning, once-ler. she's frowning a little, watching him look up at the sky]

Don't tell me you forgot how colloquialisms work.

[whichwayyoulean]

Oh no, I remember how they work. I'm just choosing not to indulge in them today.

[ino]

Why?

[whichwayyoulean]

[He gives a shrug of his shoulders]

I guess I'm having a hermit day. I get those on occasion. You know, being a hermit and all.

[ino]

[that gets a bit of an amused smirk]

"Hermit day", huh. [it's a little extreme for him just feeling a little standoffish, but ...] What else do you do on a "hermit day"?

[whichwayyoulean]

Mostly what I do every day. Regret my past, hate myself a lot, wish I could turn back time.

Only, you know. Completely avoiding people.

[ino]

[ ... well, that. kills her smile. lmfao. once-ler, how depressing ...

but mostly, it confirms that he is REALLY in a bad mood]

Something happened. [not a question, she's quite sure of it. the real, unasked question is, what was it that upset him]

[whichwayyoulean]

[He's the biggest barrel of laughs in Paradisa, that's for sure]

Things happen every day. It's generally how the world keeps turning.

[That could probably be construed as a 'yes']

[ino]

[she's punching him in the arm for that one B( not hard, because he is a fragile beanpole, but hard enough to get her point across]

Stop that. What happened?

[whichwayyoulean]

Okay, ow. [He'll just rub his arm because jeez you people and your violence.

Still, he'd rather her not do anything ninja-y on him, and she IS someone he feels he can at least talk to about these sorts of things]

Ted went home.

[ino]

[ ... oh. :( yeah, she can definitely relate to not wanting to be around people when a friend goes home. and considering how excited he was about the things that ted hd told him ... yeah. she is definitely empathizing hard. softly:]

I'm sorry.

[whichwayyoulean]

[He hefts his lanky shoulders into a shrug, focusing on the road in front of them]

It happens. In fact, it happens to me pretty consistently. No one stays.

[ino]

Trust me, I get it. No one stays for me, either. [okay, it's more a recent Para-related development for her, but -- she'll lean back with a little sigh] But just because it happens, that doesn't mean you can't be sad about it.

[whichwayyoulean]

I know, hence the hermit day. This is me, being sad. [And boy does he look miserable]

[ino]

[LMAO. yes, he certainly LOOKS it -- but the way he said it kind of made her think he was pretending it was no big deal.

but hey! at least he's grieving in a semi-normal way. .... key word there being "semi"]

You'll see him again later, right?

[whichwayyoulean]

Yeah. I'll see him again later.

[He pauses, not sure if he should actually admit this or not. But he's tried, and just wants to go back to his tower and be left to sit alone. He can't have it, though, not yet. He doesn't have the energy to think up a convincing lie]

In about fifty years.

[ino]

[ .... well, that definitely gets a shocked look]

Fifty years?!

[the way he'd put it before, it sounded like they'd met pretty soon after what happened ...]

[whichwayyoulean]

Yep. [He says that word with some degree of finality. It turns out knowing your future isn't always the most fun thing in the world]

I'm an old man by the time he finds me. Most of the town will forget I even exist.

[ino]

[well, that's ...

she looks a little shocked, as she thinks about this. he doesn't have ... any of the things that he has here back home, does he? no friends to drag him out. nobody to keep him going, as much as he insists he'd rather be alone. but he really is, truly, honestly alone. and the weight of that is much heavier and scarier than just having someone leave -- knowing that you have nothing to go back to except loneliness is what really makes her heart hurt for him. because it's her own biggest fear that she'll be alone here, forever.

so she'll examine him with concern for a moment, before she moves to get on her knees on the seat -- what, he's too tall to hug properly from a sitting position -- and wraps her arms around him gently]

[whichwayyoulean]

[He honestly wasn't expecting the hug, so preoccupied was he in trying to think of what he could have done to prevent the castle from ejecting his future protégé. He knew it was inevitable, it was the way of the castle and the way of his life in general. Still, it would have been nice. To spend more time with the kid before he left. Because now all there was waiting for him WAS the empty loneliness, decades of being left completely alone. Just as he wanted. Funny how it sounds less desirable now he knows it's a reality.

And so he squeaks a little when Ino hugs him, not really sure how to handle it. So he focuses on stopping the cart first, and after a little deliberation, hesitantly hugs her back]

[ino]

[yeah, honestly, she could care less if the cart drove into a tree right now. she just wants him to know that even though there's nothing she can do about what awaits him when he goes home, as long as he's here? he'll never have to feel that kind of crippling loneliness. not while she's around.

but that sounds a little too cheesy and dumb to say out loud, and with his attitude, she's not sure he wouldn't try to be an idiot and refute it anyways. so she'll settle for smoothing a hand over his hair and just holding on to him :(]

[whichwayyoulean]

[He truly, honestly would appreciate that. Even though, just as she suspects, saying that aloud would only result in him getting defensive and trying to push her away. Regardless of how much he so desperately wants people to care about him, he still doesn't truly feel he deserves it. Not yet.

Besides, it's nice. That hair stroking thing. It's soothing. He allows it for a short while, before giving her a gentle squeeze]

I'll be okay. [Not really. Not at all]