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

Entry tags:

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."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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."

It might shock him to know that part of it is because people actually really like him.

"Should give chocolate. Chocolate's way better."

He chuckles a little.

"Chocolate, huh? Okay, I think I can manage that."

They're coming up to the city now, so Cass keeps a closer eye on Once but just keeps pushing the chair forward.

"Not far from house. Remember way, then you can... come visit, later. When you're better."

There's perhaps a touch of nervousness coming from him, he rarely comes into town of his own free will. But he's interested too, he wants to see where she lives, add it to his mental map of the place.

"Sure. I might do that," he surprises himself by actually meaning that, wow where did that come from?

She smiles to herself when he just goes ahead and says it because she honestly hadn't expected him to agree so fast.

"Good. Alvin would like it. He lives here, with Stephanie." She's not actually sure if he knows that or not, so it seems like a good thing to throw out there. "Not here, now. Off with babies."

She parks him at the front door so she can unlock it and then lets both of them in. It's a nice place, decorated by Tim while she and Steph were out on the expedition and he was stuck back at the castle because of his injuries.

"My bedroom." She points through one of the doorways as they go down the hall, glad it's relatively picked up today. There's still clothing scattered around, but other than that there's not much personality to the room. Cass is still figuring out how decorating works.

"Stephanie and Alvin's." Another point, but their door is closed. It has been since they left, mostly so she'd be able to just glance inside and know if they'd come back by seeing if the door was standing open now. Finally she wheels him back to the living room, then points one last time at the dog sleeping on the couch. "Ace. Stephanie and Alvin's, too."

"Oh right...the babies. Y'know for a second, I almost forgot about them...except not because the journal is full of whining."

He'll at least be a polite guest, taking note of the rooms and where they are. When (he notes this is still a when and not an if in his mind, and is a little perturbed by the fact) he comes to visit, he'd rather not awkwardly wander into someone's room.

"It's a nice place," he says, then nodding at Ace. "So you got dog sitting duty, huh?"

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject