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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"Hmmm," he affirms. "It's a Truffula tree. The very last one. I had a seed, y'see, and back home, in the future, I give it to Ted. When he arrived here, he had it with him, and it was already growing, so we planted it here."

His smile softens as he stares at the tiny little tree.

"I never thought I'd see another one again as long as I lived. But here it is, growing strong."

It's highly likely that if she ever meets Ted, she's going to hug him very tightly as a way to thank him for this. Moving to stand beside him so she can see better, Cass keeps her eyes on the tree and not Once so she can't read everything that's going through him. She does, however, reach for his hand as a show of support.

"It's pretty. Good spot, too. Lots of sun."

He glances at her hand for a moment, torn between what to do. But...he'd give himself this one day, right? It couldn't hurt just for today. So, little knowing how many 'just for today's' he's truly going to give himself, he reaches out to take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah, and between me, Ted and the Lorax, we should be able to keep it safe from... well, people like me."

She frowns a little, squeezing his hand back.

"Are you still... person like you? If you want to... protect, not destroy, don't have to... protect from yourself." That seems right, if awkwardly worded. Hopefully he'll get what she's going for.

"I'm not the person I was before."

He frowns softly, the castle has changed him. He's had friends here, real friends, who have stuck by him through everything. Though he still believes one day they'll all go, either by their own choice or by him doing something to hurt them and force them away...he's truly begun to appreciate and enjoy having them around.

But there's still that fear. That fear that he won't ever really change. That he's just a destructive person and that's the way things are supposed to be.

"At least...I hope I'm not."

Now she does look at him, tugging his hand lightly to get his attention.

"I can see. Could tell you."

She hates it when people try to use to her for her abilities, but it's different when she wants to, when it can help someone and when it's her offering. Instead of Tim trying to find out private thoughts and feelings, this is Cass offering to tell the Once-ler what's really inside him.

It should be obvious since he has his friends here, people who care about him, but maybe it's something that has to be said out loud for him to really know it. Assuming he even believes her.

He's surprised, he already got the impression she's not exactly comfortable with the way people react to her abilities.

"You'd be okay doing that?"

It's frightening, too, to be faced with the reality of it all. What if he hasn't changed at all? What if he really is just someone who will tear apart everything he gets near? Make people hurt, make them leave.

More terrifying still, what if he has changed? What if he isn't what he's been telling himself he is since the last Truffula fell? As horrible as a thought of him having not changed at all is, at least he knows how to handle that. This...this would be something else entirely.

He takes a deep breath, then nods. "Okay."

"You should see, worrying at all? Means you changed." Just a little bit of logic before she gives him the facts.

"So much regret, in you. For what you did, who you hurt. You're scared, will do it again. Keeping people away, so you don't." There's a pause here because this is difficult for her, forming more complete sentences to be sure she says everything in a way that can only be understood exactly how she means. "People who are bad... never care, about others. About what... their actions cause. You care."

She lets go of his hand, but it's so she can lean down to hug him.

"You're not bad, Once-ler."

He listens to what she has to say. So many times he's denied these things, coming from the mouths of his friends. As much as he cared so much for them, a part of him always believed they were kidding themselves. But Cass...well, this was what she did. If anyone could tell him this honestly, it's her.

The hug surprises him, he wasn't expecting it, and as off-guard as he is, he returns it. He doesn't respond for a while, struggling to find the words. He knows there's still the potential there, for him to make a mess of things, but to know that he's not completely a lost cause...

"Thank you," it's whispered, but it's absolutely sincere. He still doesn't know how to fully accept this, but he's still grateful for being told it.

She doesn't really expect him to immediately start believing her, it's something that will take time, but at least he knows now. He can hope, and she hugs him a little tighter because she's glad she could help with this.

"Just don't forget."

As he hugs her, his eyes fall to one of the unlsses-es on the ground. He's surprised, how often he doesn't realise that they're even there when he's around her. It seems she makes even his loss easier to bear. He takes in a steady breath, unwilling to pull away just yet but knowing he'll have to eventually, in more ways than one.

"I won't."

"Good."

She lets go first, straightening up again and giving him a soft smile before she turns back towards the tree.

"Can have lunch here, next time."

He manages a smile again, watching the tree for a moment, before turning to look at her. She's the one that makes the whole prospect much more appealing.

"I'd really like that."

"Will bring water. Tree can eat, too." She pauses, looking a little sheepish. "Well, drink. Since... no mouth."

And that...well that means even more to him. That she's willing to help with the tree's continued existence. This one tiny part of his world that is so very precious and important.

"I'm sure it'd appreciate that."

Of course she is, she doesn't have to read him to know how important the tree is to him. She crouches down in front of the little tree and reaches out to touch it, being very very careful.

"Can't read plants, but hope it does. Everything deserves chance... to live, grow, be happy."

She's not really sure how long he'd like to stay here, but it's not like they're on any kind of a schedule and she's not really in a hurry to move on. It's nice, being outside every now and then. It's even nicer being out here with such good company.

And, just like in his tale, the tufts really are softer than silk, and small as the sprout is, the light perfume of butterfly milk drafts from it gently.

"You're right, this one especially," it needs the chance he didn't give any of its fore-bearers.

He;s perfectly fine with remaining in her company. Eventually, he knows he'll have to go to the clinic. But for now, for now he'll enjoy this day with her.

She'll drag him into town first, then take him back. She doesn't get very many chances to show off being Batgirl, she won't let him get out of that part.

"Are they always... this color?" Trees change color for different seasons, right? And hey, if they change color... "Does smell change?"

He'll be absolutely and utterly okay with that. Funny, how at ease he is with her, he doesn't even feel the need to go and hide away as he does with so many people.

"Nah, they stay the same colour all year round. But they have different colours, there are red ones and blue ones, orange ones and yellow ones," he chuckles. "And the smell stays the same."

She turns to look up at him with a knowing grin.

"No green ones?"

See what she did there, Once? You know, since green is your favorite color?

He does see what she did there, and his smile fades, for just a moment, before he puts it back on.

"Nope, not a single green one."

That's interesting, that was supposed to make him smile more, not less. She stands back up and goes back to his side, reaching out to put her hand on his arm.

"Ready to go... when you are. Can stay all day, though. If you want."

Well, the comment of the trees didn't bring out a smile, but her comment certainly does.

"Not sick of my company yet, huh?" he jokes. "Well, we can go elsewhere, I guess. There's lots of places around the castle and if they were gonna come track me down from the clinic, they would have done it by now. Thanks, by the way, for busting me out, can't say there's many girls who'd do that for me."

She'll just start wheeling him toward the city, then. She's seen how his body language goes all funny at the mention of going that far from the castle though, so she goes slowly.

"Will always... like your company, Once-ler." It sort of sucks that she has to even say that, but at least it's out there now. "And you're welcome. Maybe they know... outside's good for you. They're... letting you enjoy day."

One day, he might be able to accept things like that without being told, but he's still so used to his mother's influence, that he struggles to understand why people would willingly spend tim with him.

"Maybe they are. I'll have to thank them for it, give them a fruit basket or something."

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