paradisalogs | this one's for the faithless, the ones that are surprised

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this one's for the faithless, the ones that are surprised

Who: The Once-ler and Cassandra Cain
What: He's been inside way too much and she is going to change that.
When: May 24th
Where: The clinic, then OUTSIDE damn it.
Rating: PGish

Each time she's gone to visit him, she's found Once in the exact same place, doing the exact same thing, generally looking not all that happy about... well, anything. They sit and knit and talk and it's nice, it's fun, but when was the last time he even left the clinic? Has he really just stayed in bed since their horrible space adventure?

If that's true, it's not acceptable at all. It's also why when she comes to visit him today, she's pushing a wheelchair in front of her. There's a picnic basket sitting in it right now, so her intention is probably pretty clear: she's taking him outside for lunch.

Does he have a say in it? Not exactly. She smiles at him when she stops the chair by his bed.

"Hi Once."

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Damn it, Tim. They will have to have a conversation about that, it's wrong for him to lie about who he is to the friends he's making here. How can he expect to keep them if everything's built on such a big lie?

But she doesn't want to worry about Tim and his dumb choices, she wants to enjoy Once's company and it really is a nice day today. Once they finally make it outside, the sun is shining and there are only a few fluffy white clouds in the sky. Definitely not weather for bad thoughts.

"There?" She points at a particularly flat bit of grass under a tree not far from the castle and starts rolling him in that direction, careful to avoid rocks and bumps so his leg doesn't get bounced around. "Can sit in shade, it'll be good."

Tim would just have to face Cass' wrath later. The Once-ler is looking up at the sky, watching the clouds float by. Funny, when he arrived here, he avoided going outside as much as possible, but he finds himself enjoying the nice weather, just being outside. Maybe he's changed more than he realises. It occurs to him he should probably check on the Truffula while he's out here. Sure, the Lorax and Ted would have it more than covered between them, but he wanted to see it for himself.

But that could wait too, he nods at her choice of spot.

"Sounds good to me. It's even marginally peaceful out here for a change."

She'd be more than happy to wheel him to the tree of course, partly just because it'd be something she'd enjoy seeing. And it's nice, seeing his body language change and tell her he's actually enjoying this.

Once they're there, she parks the chair and then comes around to stand in front of him and take the picnic basket up again.

"Close your eyes. Have present for you."

He casts her a suspicious look, his gaze shifting from the basket to Cass.

"Okaaaaay, but nothing is gonna leap out and bite me, right?"

He'll close his eyes, look he's trusting you not to murder him out here, Cass.

Really, he should know better than that by now. After a few moments, he'll feel something fuzzy be laid on top of his hands. It's the scarf she'd been making, finished on her own so she could present it to him like this instead of having him watch her finish it and then hand it over with little ceremony.

"Okay, open."

It's still pretty lumpy, but it did get a little neater as she got slightly better at knitting. The important part is it's scarf-shaped and something that she made specifically to give to him.

His brow furrows at the fuzzy feeling, for a moment worrying she'd got him a pet, because good lord the mutant newt and the terminally depressed cat were more than enough for him. When he does open his eyes, his expression of mounting dread softens. She'd actually made it. He smiles, raising it up to look at it better, feeling the fabrid with his fingertips.

"You finished it," he murmurs softly, before smiling up at her. "It looks great."

He carefully wraps it around his neck. Sure with the Thneed he's probably got neckwear overtime going on there, but she gave it to him as a gift and he was damned if he wasn't going to wear it.

"How does it look?"

She smiles back, pleased to see he likes it even though she was pretty sure that wouldn't have changed between now and the first time he told her the lumps made it unique.

"You pull it off." It seems like bad manners to keep saying something he's pleased to get isn't very nice to look at, and it does look good on him if you don't focus too much on the actual construction of the thing. All in all, she's pretty proud and it's a feeling she's not entirely used to.

Reaching into the picnic basket again, she starts to set out what she'd packed up for their lunch. It's just sandwiches and tea and a bag of marshmallows to split for dessert, nothing special, but she hands over his share before sitting down on the grass in front of his wheelchair.

That and it's a gift from her, something that matters a great deal to him. He grins, adjusting it around his neck a little, jauntily, as if he were straightening a tie.

"Why, thank you!"

Oh, but her chosen desert, IS special, his smile widens considerably when he sees what she's brought. That's probably the best possible treat she could have ever put into a picnic basket for him, and it shows in his face, real delight crossing his features.

"You got marshmallows? Wow, you are on the fast track to becoming one of my favourite people."

"Not already your favorite? I'm hurt." She says it with an impish grin though, clearly isn't actually insulted.

And hey, if the marshmallows are the best part why wait? She tears the bag open and holds it up for him.

He smiles, taking a marshmallow, squeezing it between his fingers.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry, you keep this up and you'll be in the top spot in no time."

She looks quite pleased to hear that, sitting up a little straighter as she completely ignores her sandwich in favor of eating marshmallows too. Marshmallows can be lunch, right?

"Guess we have to... pick new project, now. For knitting lessons."

Marshmallows can totally be lunch. If the Once-ler had any say in it, he'd have them officially put on the food pyramid.

"Well, we can try for a hat, if you like."

She considers this for a moment, then nods. She's pretty sure she can manage a lumpy hat to go along with his lumpy scarf.

"Okay, hat. What's your... favorite color?"

That's not too obvious is it?

Obvious enough to bring a soft smile to his face. A small part of himself chides him for the smile. He was supposed to have stopped indulging in these feelings a while ago now, and he knows the longer he allows himself to do so, the harder it will be to stop. And yet, he indulges in them anyway.

"You're spoiling me," he replies, trying to get rid of that stupid goofy smile and just making it more stupid and goofy in the process. "But I like green."

His body language does that often, goes all happy and then regretful and then right back to being happy after she says or does something nice for him. Cass still isn't sure why or what it means, she just knows that most of the time it's followed by that smile that he tries to fight back but never can. It's a good smile, she likes it.

"Will wish... for green wool, then." The spoiling comment she'll just ignore completely because even if it's true, it's still something she's more than happy to do. "What comes after hats?"

Once day, he'll attempt to explain it to her, and it will be the most awkward conversation ever. He hopes he'll never have to do it, but the more he allows himself to feel this way, the more likely that conversation will have to be a thing.

He hums, tapping his chin in thought.

"Well, then there's gloves or sweaters. You need to measure someone for a sweater, though, to make sure it'll fit, where hats and scarves fit all."

Well, that gets a bit of a frown from her.

"Maybe no sweaters. Still can't read, couldn't... take measurements."

Not that she isn't trying, but actually learning words is so much harder than anything else she's had to do and sometimes, she's not sure she even can make it to a point where she'll be able to do something as simple as take someone's measurements.

His smile softens.

"That's okay," he says gently. "I can teach you. We can go at whatever pace you need to...uh to learn I mean."

His tone and his smile are reassuring, so she reaches out for his hand and squeezes it lightly to she her gratitude.

"Been good teacher so far." But that correction is weird, so she tilts her head as she looks up at him. "What else would... you mean?"

"Well, I try," he glances down at their hands, retuning the hand squeeze and attempting to not look as flustered as he's suddenly finding himself.

Wow he should not be allowed to say things. Like ever. Don't blush. No stop that blushing.

"Oh uh...nothing. Just a uh...slip of the tongue?"

Yeah definitely should not be allowed to say things at all.

And now he's blushing, what is that even about? She must have embarrassed him by calling him a good teacher, or maybe it's just warmer out than she realized at first. But they're under the tree, they should be fine.

She gets up onto her knees so she can lean toward him and put her hand on his forehead, just to make sure he doesn't have heat stroke going on or something.

"Are you okay?" He'd just broken his leg, right? She was pretty sure he wasn't feverish before they left the castle. And hey wait a second. "What did you mean, then? If it was... slip of tongue?"

Her getting even closer does't really help matters. He attempts to laugh it off, but it comes over a tad more nervous than he intended. Okay plan one on his agenda: learn how to deal with girls.

"I'm fine!" that comes out very squeaky, so he clear his throat to attempt a more manly tone. "I'm fine. And I was just thinking something else is all...uh guy things, they'd bore you, super not important."

Because actually saying those things would make them real, and then he'd have to push her away. And he finds he doesn't want to do that. He wants to delay the inevitable as long as he possibly can.

She's not convinced at all, but she lets go of his hand and sits back down on the grass to give him space and make sure he doesn't die of a heart attack right here and now. So... he was thinking guy things about her pace? Now it's her turn to blush a little bit.

"Um..." Wow they really need a new subject now. She passes him a sandwich, trying to think of something to say, but talking isn't really her strong suit either. "Tell about hats. Are they hard?"

He appreciates the breathing space, and uses it to try and get his stupid feelings under control. No. This is the absolute last day he is going to let himself feel like this. The absolute last. (Spoiler: It will not be the absolute last at all). He doesn't even seem to notice her own blush, taking the sandwich and focusing on eating that for a moment.

"Nah it's not that hard at all, there's a special needle to help you knit it, and you just keep going," he spins his finger. "Round and round in a circle until you're done."

That actually sounds easier than the scarf, at least she only has to knit in one direction for this. Well, the new needle part might throw her but she wasn't lying when she called him a good teacher. If anyone can explain it, it'll be him.

"Can probably manage that." She's got the tea now, has it held between both her hands as she takes a drink. It's not as good as Alfred's of course but tea has always had a soothing kind of affect on her. And since Once could probably use that too, she hands the thermos over to him.

"Like tea?"

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