Thirteen Truffula Trees

[whichwayyoulean]

[Well, that was an eventful trip, wasn't it? He'd actually been enjoying the world change right up to the point the fake Lorax showed up. Those words had hurt, even if a small part of him was always expecting them. So, the Once-ler is in his room (where else?) idly strumming out a guitar tune. He's not even sure he remembers where he's heard it from. Somewhere in the castle, probably. He continues to strum along as he dictates into the journal]

Okay, I have a question. Did anyone else see horrible illusions when the...whatever they were attacked us? Because I'm kind of wondering. How did they know what illusions to cast? You know, which ones would really get to us. Did they have files on us or did they just go play around in our heads and turn our own minds against us?

[He's not sure why it's important he knows that. It's not exactly going to make him feel any better, but still. That done, he has some filters to see to]

[Jane]

Your Utility Belt is all done. I would have got it done sooner if the castle hadn't decided to throw all those shenanigans at us.

[Phoebe]

Incoming, your ghosts are brining your birthday present. [It’s a scarf. Because it was something he was able to make on short notice, and hey, winter is coming so it’s practical too!]

[Kalinda]

[He’s been concerned about her, really. They haven’t properly talked since that...nightmare mess and he’s not sure if she even wants to see him again or not. Still, she’s been quiet- very quiet. He's trying not to think about those really not subtle at all hints his beloved friends decided to drop concerning her. Carefully:

...Hey.

Comments

[ino]

[stubbornly] There aren't that many people in the castle. And it's my job to keep more people than that safe every day at home.

[Once-ler]

I get it, okay? You don't have to keep defending yourself! [now she's really getting annoyed. either be unrepentant about your secret keeping so she can legitimately get mad, or just spill the beans so she can be not mad, onceler! GOSH.]

... [and she doesn't know what to say to that. this conversation is too vague for her to know the right thing to say. but finally:] Do you remember what I said to you when you asked if you should try to make up for what you did?

[whichwayyoulean]

There are over a hundred of us. Have you seen the floor map recently? Sorry, nothing you can say is going to convince me that you're at fault here.

[Ino]

Well you sound pretty mad about it. [Once-ler no stop]

That I should try it regardless if I remember it or not because it's better than doing nothing.

[ino]

Like I said, not that many. I was leaving for the same sort of battle last I remember at home, and there were way more people fighting and way more enemies. If I can't even handle you guys ... [then what the eff is gonna happen when she goes home :(]

[Once-ler]

I'm not mad! [she totally is mad]

Right. And the most important thing is that you're trying to do something. If you're willing to take the blame and responsibility for what you've done, and you're trying to make up for it now, then you're the one who's winning, as far as I'm concerned.

[whichwayyoulean]

Ino, you'll be fine. You're one tough cookie. One of the toughest cookies I know, in fact.

[Ino]

So the angry tone of voice is your way of showing you're fine?

...Yay me. It'll wave my little flag of victory while I remember what an abject failure at life I am.

[ino]

[she's silent for a moment, considering. she doesn't know that for sure, but worrying about it now would be stupid. and she doesn't want once-ler to have to worry about it, either.]

... Thanks, I guess.

[Once-ler]

Shut up.

Stop that, I'm being serious! You aren't a failure, Once-ler. You're really good at a lot of things. And you said it yourself, you were super rich and super famous! You don't get that way by being a "failure at life".

[whichwayyoulean]

Hey, you're welcome. [Just getting her to at least relent on the subject a little is enough for him]

[Ino]

And now you're telling me to shut up. Nice. [His tone is teasing, though]

No. You get that by trampling everyone and everything that gets in your way and forcing yourself to the top.

[Once-ler]

[ino]

Better than making you shut up.

I'm not saying that some of what you did wasn't wrong. But doing something wrong doesn't make you automatically bad at everything ever.

[Ino]

[whichwayyoulean]

And we're back to the violence.

I don't know, messing up as monumentally as I did doesn't exactly lend to any confidence that I can make things better.

[Once-ler]

[ino]

How else would I get you to listen?

Messing up has a way of doing that. But ... you're your own worst critic, you know. ... It might not mean much, but I think you're doing a great job. [and she does mean that, sincerely. compared to the way he was when he first arrived, he's doing a lot better now]

[Ino]

[whichwayyoulean]

You ever hear the saying 'violence isn't the answer'?

[He's never going to get used to praise, not after never having it given to him genuinely for so very long. So he pauses, unsure] ...You really think so?

[Once-ler]

[ino]

Whoever made that up is an idiot.

I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it.

[Ino]

[whichwayyoulean]

Or someone who got bored of being punched all the time.

...Thank you. [And he's really, truly sincere when he says that]

[Once-ler]

[ino]

Maybe they shouldn't have been doing something that made people punch them, then.

[warmly:] You're welcome.

[even if she didn't get him to talk specifically about the Lorax, she feels like she's done some good here, which is really why she wanted him to talk about it in the first place. so, wrath of ino avoided? for now? maybe?]

By the way, thanks for coming out to Yakiniku with everyone.

[Ino]

[whichwayyoulean]

That's like asking some people not to breathe [People like him for instance.

And good, he always considers it a plus to his day if he avoids the Wrath of Ino]

I wanted to see the places important to you, and besides, it was with people I feel okay around.

[Once-ler]

[ino]

That's just sad. You should be able to go a whole day without pissing someone off.

Yeah, well. It was nice going with friends. My sensei and my teammates used to go there after missions as a reward. [a pause ... wait a sec] Really? Does that mean you're okay with Gale, too?

[Ino]

[whichwayyoulean]

...You do remember me, right?

Sounds like a good reward to me. [Paauuuse] I guess so. He's not all that bad, when you get to know him.

[Once-ler]

[ino]

Okay, let me rephrase that. You should learn how to go a whole day without pissing someone off.

It was! Food tastes a lot better when you worked hard to get it. [and oh man, YES, she is so happy to hear that, and is shows in her voice?] Really?? You think so?

[Ino]

[whichwayyoulean]

I don't know, Ino. I might already be a lost cause there. I've been making people mad just by existing since I was a kid.

It does, it's got this...I don't know, earned quality about it. [He can tell. Man, he hadn't realised it was this important] He could be a lot worse.

[Once-ler]

[ino]

Well, that's because the people you knew as a kid were stupid.

[LOL .... she's kind of wondering if he's just saying that to agree with her, at this point. but eh. she'll take it] Well, glad you liked it.

[and of course it's important! family must like her beau, after all B)] Well, that's one way to put it ... [a laugh] By the way, now that he's not a squirrel anymore, you can totally start giving him projects to work on.

[Ino]

[whichwayyoulean]

Not really. Well, except for my brothers, they're pretty much as dumb as planks, but the rest of them are pretty sharp. [Especially the dreaded MOTHER]

[He really means it, he remembers a time when food really wasn't that easy to come by. After all, he didn't START life rolling in the money]

Okay. I think I could do that, if it's something he still wants to do.

[Once-ler]

[ino]

Okay, maybe not stupid, but the way they treated you was stupid.

I'll have to remind him ... a bunch of stuff happened since he turned back.

[Ino]

[whichwayyoulean]

More selfish and emotionally manipulative than 'stupid' but I get where you're coming from.

Yeah, asking him to drop be a filter whenever he feels like trying something out. [They can awkwardly dance around the subject of you forever]

[Once-ler]

[ino]

Close enough.

Sounds good! [LMFAO YES especially after that slip up at yakiniku ...] I think he'll be grateful for something to do. Especially once winter comes around and there's nothing around to hunt.

[Ino]

[whichwayyoulean]

[Yes, that will be one of the things they'll avoid talking about]

Oh right, he does the hunting thing. But hey, that is a good thing about inventing. It's largely an indoors thing.

[Once-ler]

[ino]

Mhm. I don't know about him, but I can't stand the cold. The more indoors activities during winter the better!