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

[wizard_redfive]

[Oooh, creepy factory. How terrifying.

Dairine was just passing through, hoping to escape from her own nightmare for a while, when a GIANT axe machine stops in front of her. Dude, overcompensation much? Dairine was planning on getting out of the way when Once-ler starts insulting her.

Uh, yeah. No way she's moving now.]

You call this progress?

[whichwayyoulean]

[How do punkass kids even get onto the forest floor, that's what he wants to know. Why can't they be content in the town? It's not like he hasn't made sure Thneedville has everything a kid would ever want to distract their tiny attention spans]

Uh yeah. You know why? Because it is. Now you run along and go melt your mind with donkey kongs or something.

[wizard_redfive]

[By walking, duh. Dairine crosses her arms and looks waaaaay up at him like he needs to get his brain checked.]

That is the most circular logic I have ever heard. [And also wrong.] No thanks. I like my mind just the way it is.

[whichwayyoulean]

It's the only logic you're getting. Seriously, kid, I've got a business to run here, scram.

[wizard_redfive]

[UH OH. You used the "k"-word. Now you're gonna get it.]

You mean that's the only logic you have. How flimsy. I sure hope your "business" doesn't require critical thinking.

[whichwayyoulean]

[The Once-ler seems largely unbothered by her comment. Sorry, you have to do a lot better than that to beat the Lorax at being excessively annoying]

Oh no. All your harsh words have shown me the error of my ways. What a fool I've been.

[He gives her a LOOK] Leave.

[wizard_redfive]

Ooo... Sounds like someone beat me to the punch. Been hearing lots of harsh words lately?

[Dairine sends that LOOK right back at him.]

I'm not leaving until you explain exactly what you plan to do with that mutated John Deere.

[whichwayyoulean]

Doing with the...what? You mean the axe hacker? [Eye roll here] I'm skipping through the woodland, creating rainbows. What does it look like I'm doing?

[wizard_redfive]

"Axe hacker," huh? Nice name. Really exemplifies your creativity.

[She glances at the surrounding destruction with the air of someone trying to not comment on their neighbor's bad choice in window curtains.]

Cutting down pastel fuzzy trees by the truck-full. But that doesn't tell me why you're doing it. [She gives him a critical stare.] Is it for lumber? Clearing the land for housing development? Selling a vegan alternative to fur?

[whichwayyoulean]

[The Once-ler looks at her as if she's lost her mind. Which he mostly thinks she has]

Uh...no. I use the tufts to make Thneeds. Come on, everyone knows that, you can't go anywhere without seeing a Thneed commercial of some sort somewhere.

[wizard_redfive]

...A what now?

[Clearly "everyone" does not include Dairine.]

[whichwayyoulean]

A Thneed. Wow, you must be really new to the planet.

[wizard_redfive]

It's possible. We certainly don't have fuzzy trees where I'm from.

[She says casually, like it's a normal thing to question which planet you're on. But back on topic...]

So what is a "Thneed?"

[whichwayyoulean]

[He looks up at the few remaining Truffulas]

They only grow here too, so that's not surprising. It's called Truffula Valley for a reason.

And a Thneed is a fine something that all people need...you have seriously never heard of it , because I'm pretty sure my marketing team got everywhere.

[wizard_redfive]

["Only grow here..." Well, THAT screams conservation problem like nothing else.]

So these... Truffula... are unique to this area.

Not once. [She answers honestly.] So it would be greatly appreciated if you gave me a description, not your marketing jingle.

[whichwayyoulean]

They sure are. That's how I control the processing of them all.

[He arches his brow at her. It's ridiculous, a kid not knowing what a Thneed is. It was on the top of their Christmas list, every year, without fail] It's a product that can do the job of a thousand. You can make it be pretty much whatever you want it to be.

[wizard_redfive]

[Ah... Corporate greed, how she loathes loves thee.]

And you make them out of trees. [Dairine is skeptical. The only products she knows which can do so many things tend to be made of silicon. i.e. Computers.]

[whichwayyoulean]

Tell the tufts of the trees. [He Once-ler wanders over to one of the standing Truffula, pulling off a piece of tuft and handing it over]

Nothing like it in this world. Softer than silk, and smells of fresh butterfly milk. That's how you know you have a genuine Thneed.

[wizard_redfive]

[Dairine rubs the tuft between her fingers. It does feel nice, soft and high quality. (Though whether it smells of butterfly milk, whatever the heck that is, Dairine has no idea). She can see how this would be a highly sought after resource.

That doesn't make this any more right.]

It feels like a material used to make clothes. [Super soft cotton.]

[whichwayyoulean]

Exactly! And that's what I'm doing. They're going to make my Thneeds.

[wizard_redfive]

Hang on -- Thneeds are clothes?

[And here he was going on about what a fantastic invention they were! How anticlimactic.]

[whichwayyoulean]

A Thneed is more than just clothes. Clothes are just the tip of the iceberg of what a Thneed can be.

[wizard_redfive]

[Dairine suspects she'll regret asking this but...]

So what else can they be?

[whichwayyoulean]

Well, a Thneed can be

[He'll take a deep breath]

A Sock, a Suit a glove, a parachute, a butterfly net, a reusable diaper, an exercise belt, a Runny Nose Wiper. It can be a slingshot, a muzzle, a tightrope, a jump rope and a hat. It can be a Colourful cat sweater, or a carpet, a pillow, a sheet, or curtains or covers for bicycle seats, a swimsuit...

[Yeah, if you don't stop him he will NEVER STOP]

[wizard_redfive]

[Dairine holds up a hand, cutting him off.]

I think I get the picture. [Why would you even NEED some of those.]