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

[ino]

[she frowns]

Vanished? Vanished how?

[whichwayyoulean]

[He shrugs, opening the door to the Lerkim, the various booby traps deactivated for now]

The same way most people vanish. Here one second, next, poof, gone.

[ino]

[she'll just sigh a little miserably when he says that -- which causes a few coughs -- but follows him into the Lerkim.]

What about a little squirrel?

[whichwayyoulean]

[The Once-ler pauses to wave his hand towards the general expanse of nothing that is the Valley]

There aren't any animals here, Ino. The Lorax sent them all away. The only thing that hangs around now are crows, and I don't even want to know what they're living off. Definitely no squirrels.

[ino]

[impatiently:]

Not from here. Gale is on a loss.

[whichwayyoulean]

...And he's a squirrel? [Welp, that's weird] Sorry, Ino. I haven't seen any animals of any description.

[ino]

[well, that makes her shoulders droop a little. but she doesn't want to dwell on it or make him worry about her, so instead, she'll just focus on the Lerkim. she'll be looking around to see if there's anything of interest inside]

[whichwayyoulean]

I'm sure he's okay.

[He's concerned regardless. Still he heads further into the Lerkim, lighting up an old oil lamp to bring at least a little light and warmth to the place.

It's about as bare as his room in Paradisa is, aside from a few photographs on the walls of his family, and the ever-present-with-a-Once-ler half made inventions.

[ino]

... Yeah.

[she hopes he's right. but she's definitely interested in those photos! she'll carefully touch one of them, examining it]

Is this your family?

[whichwayyoulean]

[Oh. Those. He'd forgotten about those. The Once-ler wanders over to peer at the one she's examining]

Yeah. [He'll point as he names them] That's Aunt Grizelda and Uncle Ubb, those are my brothers Brett and Chett. [Despite the two being identical, he has no issue in identifying them. He pauses at a certain blonde haired lady, his expression unreadable] And that's my mom.

[ino]

[she'll glance back to him, before looking back at the picture]

You don't really look related to any of them.

[whichwayyoulean]

No, I don't do I? [He shrugs and then in the desperate tones of one who has been ostracised from the family enough and needs to find SOME connection somewhere;] Except for my Uncle Ubb. A little.

[ino]

[she picks up on that, and adds:]

It's a good thing. [douchebags 8|]

[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 ...