And the wind smells slow and sour when it blows

[whichwayyoulean]

Who: The Once-ler and YOU!
What: Nightmares
When: Friday
Where: HIS MIND
Rating: Uh PG/PG13.


[You'd be forgiven for thinking you've entered a pleasant dream, rather than a horrific nightmare here. You've arrived in Truffula Valley, a peaceful, wonderful place that almost puts Paradisa's created beauty to shame. Forest creatures are scurrying about, singing and playing and generally going about their business.

The sky is bright blue, the sun is shining and the waters of the nearby river and pond are crystal clear. And most importantly there are miles upon miles upon miles of Truffula trees. For anyone the Once-ler described these trees to, he wasn't kidding. The touch of their tufts really is softer than silk and that comforting, wonderful smell? Fresh butterfly milk baby.

Nothing good lasts forever, and there's a general unease about the place. A disjointed sort of feel, like someone's putting on a play and you've already been told everyone dies at the end]

[[ooc: Sections: Pretty Valley | Dying Valley | Dead Valley ]]

Comments

[whichwayyoulean]

Maybe. [He's still unsure. A sad little part of his still wants them to just...love him. Even a little bit]

[ino]

It is. [she's sure of that much. but she pauses, seemingly concentrating on a spot on the wall ... she'll put her hands together like this, and make some kind of bizarre effort, like she's trying to grow something out of her fingertips -- but nothing happens]

[whichwayyoulean]

[The Once-ler watches her curiously. Ino honey you're going to strain yourself]

...What are you doing?

[ino]

... [she glares at the wall before looking at him]

Well, if it's an illusion then I should be able to dispel it. There's -- [she moves a hand to her mouth to cough into it] There's something off about all this.

[whichwayyoulean]

I'll say. For a start the smog doesn't move in here all thick like that. [He gestures to where it's seeping in under the doorway]

[ino]

[OKAY THAT IS KIND OF ALARMING. she's covering her mouth and instinctively getting between the smog and him protectively]

[whichwayyoulean]

[He'll just kind of roll his eyes a little]

Ino, don't be dumb. It's not going to hurt me

[ino]

How do you know? You just said this wasn't normal.

[whichwayyoulean]

It's never hurt me before, I don't see why it should now. And you can't exactly ninja-protect me from smoke.

[ino]

[ ... he has a point, and she relaxes a little. but askdjhalsd she hates that she can't do anything :(]

[whichwayyoulean]

[Not as much as he hates watching that smoke coming in. Knowing he caused it, and it will likely cause HER damage. Damnit, why didn't he listen to the Lorax about the smog?]

Maybe I can find something to block the door.

[ino]

[oh, that's a good idea! she'll turn to look around and see if she can find anything]

A pillow or something? That way it can squish under the opening ...

[whichwayyoulean]

[The Once-ler frowns in through, before moving deeper into the Lerkim, returning with an old quilt, patched and torn in places. He casts it a look, he'd forgotten he even held onto this old thing, before shoving it under the bottom of the door]

...That might work for a while.

[ino]

[... she can't help but smile a little at the quilt] It looks like you've had that for awhile.

[whichwayyoulean]

I brought it from home when I first came to the Valley. I had to fish it out of the river and everything.

[ino]

Out of the river? Why was it in the river?

[whichwayyoulean]

Oh right. I didn't tell you that part of the story. Did I tell you about the Lorax?

[ino]

Kind of, yeah.

[whichwayyoulean]

Well, after I refused to leave the Valley, he decided to make me leave...by putting my bed in the nearby river.

With me in it.

[ino]

... [lmfao]

Is that why you didn't want to get on the boats?

[whichwayyoulean]

Well, that and the fact that I can't swim. Anyway, it gets worse. You see the Lorax didn't plan on the boat steering off course, so I ended up nearly going down a giant waterfall.

He managed to get me out and did...something to stop me from uh...dying. But me and rivers haven't been the best of buddies since then.

[ino]

Why don't you learn how to swim? When we're back at the castle, I mean.

[whichwayyoulean]

Well for a start that means leaving my room. [And you know how much he doesn't like that] And...I don't know, I guess I never thought to try.

[ino]

Yeah, but it could come in handy. There's been a couple of floods during world changes and stuff, it'd be handy to know how to swim even if you didn't do it normally.

[whichwayyoulean]

...Oh goodie. Floods.

I guess it couldn't hurt to learn.