Silly whim is silly. Canon is The Lorax (2012).

[caresawholeawfullot]

Me? Really?

I kind of thought everyone just wanted to play the Once-ler.

...No, I'm not complaining. You know, yet, anyway.

Uh...

Glad you liked the story? I know you had your doubts. But, uh, that all worked out, so that's good, right?

Comments

[truffulacide]

[not as weird as how similar we look.]

Just "kind of"? That's being a little generous. Of all the people who deserve fan clubs, I should rank pretty low on the list. Like, rock bottom, this-is-where-the-ants-are low. [because that's what you were talking about, right? right.]

[caresawholeawfullot]

But, I mean, it all worked out, right?

[truffulacide]

Dunno. I'll have to get back to you on that as soon as I figure out if this is a good thing or not.

[oh, wait. awkward.]

...Uh. As soon as I get your name, of course.

[caresawholeawfullot]

It's me, Te--

[Forehead, meet hand.]

Oh, duh!

[truffulacide]

Te? [pronounces it like "teh"] Wow, and I thought I had it bad.

[caresawholeawfullot]

Ted, actually. Ted Wiggins.

[truffulacide]

Now that's a better fit for you. I was just gonna say that you don't look like a Te.

I guess you already know who I am, huh?

[caresawholeawfullot]

I don't think I'd want to look like a Te.

Yeah, the Once-ler. Just... Not the one I know.

[truffulacide]

Guys named Te are probably jerks. It's a jerky sounding name.

Uh, okay. That makes perfect sense. [must be another multiverse thing.] Are you friends?

[caresawholeawfullot]

...I guess?

Yeah, I don't really get it, either. And... I think so?

[truffulacide]

You "think" so? That's really vague.

[caresawholeawfullot]

Well, he-- You are kind of... Rough around the edges.

But... Yes. Yes, we're friends.

[truffulacide]

Rude. I'm not - that rough. And even if I was in some hypothetical, magical fantasy land, I couldn't see myself hanging around a little kid all day.

[give him a year or two. he hasn't yet reached the height of utter hopelessness.]

[caresawholeawfullot]

Sorry, uh...

Well, it's not really hanging out. You were kind of helping me. Or. I guess we were helping each other.

[truffulacide]

That's how it always starts. You do someone a tiny favor, then it escalates into some big, needlessly complex errand. And then before you know it, you're booby-trapping your fridge to make sure that they stop stealing your food.

This isn't new, you know.

[caresawholeawfullot]

Right, yeah... But I don't think you get what I'm talking about.

[truffulacide]

I get it just fine! I'm no stranger to small things mooching offa me!

[caresawholeawfullot]

But that's not what I was doing!

[truffulacide]

Just what I'd expect a moocher to say.

Well, go on! Explain yourself! [and hope that he takes pity on you or at the very least stops throwing a tantrum.]

[caresawholeawfullot]

Okay, look, I went to find you to learn about trees, right? And after days of stories, you gave me the last Truffula seed! And -- hey -- I planted it! So things are good now!

1/3

[truffulacide]

[oh.]

2/3

[truffulacide]

But that's not -

[- "possible". that seed is the last of his hope, and who'd ever give their hope to some stranger? not even a strange - a little kid. none of it makes sense. this is all just a big, hurtful joke at his expense.]

3/3

[truffulacide]

...If this is your idea of a joke, it's awful.

[caresawholeawfullot]

What? No way! Look, how would I even know you had the seed otherwise?

[truffulacide]

One of the things I learned fairly early on is that there's no keeping secrets when you're in the spotlight. Sooner or later, everyone thinks they know everything about you.

Isn't that right? [spiteful much? oh, yes. bitter, too.]