Well. I made it to chapter four and I already have two fans. They are bellechat and Invader Kiwi. I would like to thank you both for the support and encouragement. So, without further ado, let's get to the disclaimer. I do not own The Lorax or its characters. I only own Raven, her family, and Bridget. Enjoy!
"Well!?" The hidden man's voice snapped Raven out of her stupor.
"Uh, Raven! Raven Tano Relecno!" She blabbered out, still hanging by her teal and black striped shirt. "I-I'm just here to meet-"
She squeaked a bit as the contraption holding her up shook and brought her closer to the mostly boarded window.
"What did you just say?" The voice, unlike the first time, was softer and calmer as he asked the question. His sky blue eyes opened up a little more, but they still held some bitterness and suspicion.
"Raven Tano Relecno. That's my name…?" The onyx haired pre-teen hesitated.
The mostly hidden face, though she couldn't really see it, seemed to soften and lose himself in his own thoughts. It had to go on for at least three whole minutes.
"Uh…Hello! Girl dangling from whatever I'm dangling from here!" Raven shouted, waving her arms around to get his attention.
The face shook his head and narrowed his eyes at her once again, barking, "Why are you here?! What do you want?!"
"I'm just here to meet you! My grandma said she used to work for you!" Raven exasperated, swinging side to side. It wasn't a total lie since the will had said that the Once-ler was her boss.
"Well, now you've met me," He said in a sarcastically sweet voice. Then he growled, "So get out of here! You're trespassing!"
"Hey! Not so rough!" Raven snapped as the mechanical arm holding her up lowered itself quickly to the ground.
Bridget ran to her side extended her neck, where she then grabbed Raven by her jacket and stood her to her feet.
"What is your problem?!" Raven shouted up to the hidden man. "And as far as I could tell, there was no sign that said 'No trespassing!'"
The light blue eyes glared down at her and two green gloved hands gripped onto one of the boards as he seethed, "And thanks to you, I'll be sure to put one up! Now run along! Go do…whatever it is girls your age do!"
Raven crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes up at him, "No. I came here on an errand and I am not leaving until that errand is done," she smirked as she finished, "How's that for doing what girls do?"
Each thing that came out of the girl's mouth seemed to only irritate The Once-ler even more. His bottom eye twitched and his long, thin fingers clenched onto the board of wood.
"Listen here, you stubborn little pest," The Once-ler growled at her in a low voice. "I don't care that you're on an errand. I don't care that you are a Relecno! I do not want you here! What part of that is hard for you to understand?!"
"What does me being a Relecno have to do with anything?!" Raven bellowed at him, the sharpness in her voice easily matching his. "And I don't care if you don't want me here! I'm staying until I get what I came here for!"
The Once-ler took a deep breath through his nose, and then breathed it out heavily. He looked down at the girl and said with no softening of his hissing voice, "And if I give you what you want, will you go away and leave me in peace?"
Raven smiled a bit, "Just a few questions I want answered and I will be on my merry way. I'll never come near here ever again and you'll only have yourself and your irritable bitterness if that's what you want."
"Fine!" He growled, crossing his arms in a stingy fashion. "What do you want to know?"
"Hmm. Question one: What do you do? My grandma said she used to work for you. Do you have a business or something?" Raven asked sitting down on a rock.
The Once-ler sighed heavily and replied, "Yes. I did have a business. It was a successful business, but that's a story for another day."
"Are you saying you wouldn't mind me being here?" Raven asked with a smirk.
"Don't push your luck, girl," The Once-ler stated blandly. "Next question. I miss my peace and quiet."
"Fair enough. Question two: Seriously. What does being a Relecno have to do with anything?"
"That's none of your business!" The aged voice snapped at her, making her put her hands up defense.
"Hey, whoa there! Personal stuff! I get it! 'Do not pry further!'" The raven-haired girl eased. "I'll just move onto the next question."
The Once-ler's green, clenched fists relaxed around the board of wood. Not by much, but still.
"Okay. Question three: And this is an important one. Exactly how do you feel about marshmallows?"
"Excuse me?" The Once-ler raised an eyebrow in complete confusion. "What kind of question is that?!"
"I don't know," Raven shrugged, unzipping the plastic bag filled with marshmallow chocolate chip cookies. "I have a strong craving for them a lot. I love eating them and my dad loves eating them. I figured if you didn't like them, then it would be so much easier to leave and never come back. Not to mention you can tell a lot about a person by the sweets they like to eat."
She took down the freshly baked cookie in one bite, "Plus I had these made for this. Think of it as a peace offering from me to you. If you want any, that is."
The mechanical arm from the side of the Once-ler's lurkim exited from its hole and went towards Raven. It stopped right in front of her, as if waiting for something to happen.
Raven took out a few cookies and handed them out to the claw, which took them in its grip. The arm slowly slithered its way up to the mostly boarded window, where The Once-ler's green gloved hand took the stack of cookies through the crack of the wooden planks.
Raven could hear chewing going on from upward before the mysterious Once-ler gave out a sigh. Not irritable or bitter like the ones before, more like a blissful sigh.
"Not half bad. Not half bad at all," He mused, taking in another cookie, or at least that's what she could hear from her spot on the rock. "You bake?"
"Mhmm. My own original recipe for marshmallow chocolate chip cookies. Mostly marshmallow, by the way. Hey, I gotta have at least one thing normal to do, but it's only rewarding when ya have someone to say how good they are."
"You don't say," The Once-ler chuckled. He shook his head and cleared his throat, "Anyway. Are you through with your questions?"
"Just one more," Raven swallowed yet another cookie. "Don't you ever get lonely out here? I mean, I know I'm a loner myself, but there's like nobody out here."
She could see the clenched fists of the Once-ler tighten once again. She also saw him blink harshly, his face more than likely scrunched in a wince.
"Yes," he answered bitterly. "It's depressing enough with the current ambiance, as you can plainly see," he used a green gloved hand to gesture to the wasteland around them, "but without any life besides my own, it only makes this place all the more abandoned and hopeless. Just like myself."
Raven had her eyes wide in horrifying shock as she swallowed her fourth cookie out of the whole bag with great difficulty. She knew this place was so desolate and lifeless, but she couldn't imagine living out here and not feel so lonesome, bitter, and angry. Maybe, just maybe, that's what emotions The Once-ler had felt the whole time he was out here. And by the looks of it, he was out here for quite some time.
"Oh," Raven looked down for a moment or two before looking up. From what she could tell, The Once-ler was looking down, but not at her. It was more like he was looking down at the windowsill either in deep thought or deep depression. Whichever it was, it made her sigh as she got to her feet.
"Look. I know we made a deal and all, but...you know, if you're ever looking for company or something, I'd be more than happy to drop by at any time. Really," she started nervously. The Once-ler shifted his eyes slightly so that he was looking down at her. She smirked up at him as she continued, "And hey. Even if you say no, I'm coming by anyway. Nobody should be so alone like this. Not even anyone as bitter, miserable, or cranky as you. That, and I saw how much you enjoyed my marshmallow chocolate chips."
After hearing no response, Raven merely shrugged and said, "All right. But I'll be back."
She turned and went to go set Bridget up for their departure. A sort of metallic object poked at her shoulder and she turned around to see the metallic arm being held out to her.
"And I'll be looking forward to it," The Once-ler replied. "Any more questions?"
"No. But I'll ask you when they come to me," she smiled up at the top window. "And I'll be sure to bring some more of those cookies when I do."
"Deal," the claws of the arm opened. Raven's smile widened and she grabbed onto the arm, shaking it heartily and sealing the deal.
