𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 | 𝙾𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚛𝚇𝚃𝚘𝚖 𝚁𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚕𝚎 |

X

Onceler wakes up early and grabs his guitar. He plugs it into the cheap amplifier he bought back in Greenville, then starts strumming it. He's been working on a future hit single, dedicated to the Lorax. The sound vibrates through the tent, causing it to shake a little.

As he strums his guitar, he starts envisioning his company. He's thinking about getting a custom green striped suit with a matching tie, tagged with a truffula tree sprout. He'd wear a black top hat with a green ribbon, then have navy shades.

Onceler hums to himself and nods. It sounded wonderful. What's even better is that the Lorax can do nothing to stop it.

"I'm not bad." Onceler mutters to himself.

*que how bad can I be*

Tom sighs and opens his eyes and  looks out the window, "are those fish standing on a tree???"

"Oh! You're awake. And yes-for some god forsaken reason they can walk." Onceler sets down his guitar and walks to the kitchen. He starts making some pancakes.

"So you're working on a song or something, you're pretty good at playing the  guitar."

"It's a lorax-inspired song, dedicated to how much of a nuisance he is. And thanks."

"Makes sense it's one way to get your anger out on him,mhm no problem"

Onceler puts a big stack of fluffy pancakes on a plate, then hands them to Tom. "I'm heading to town in a few to sell the Thneeds."

"Oh, okay. Good luck-and thank you"

Onceler nods and plops down next to Tom with an identical stack of pancakes.

"I can't remember the last time i had pancakes."

"I make them all the time-it's really the only thing I know how to cook." Onceler smiles and stuffs a pancake in his mouth.

"Hm, makes sense", He takes a bite of his pancakes.

Onceler finishes his breakfast, then grabs his fedora and guitar.

"I need a new look. I look too much like Ryan Ross." He mutters to himself.

"I mean i wasn't going to say anything, but yeah you do."

Onceler shrugs, then heads to the door.

"Uh, see you later." He grabs the big box of thneeds, then heads outside. He tosses it onto his cart.

"Oh, bye good luck, sorry if your family is gone when you come back."

The Onceler hops onto his cart, then heads to Greenville. If he was going to obtain his dream he must become rich.

The lorax sits on the ground trying to steal his cards back from a duck.

As he starts to leave, Onceler shoots the Lorax a glare.

The lorax turns his body and glares back at the onceler.

"Hmpf."

Tom walks outside and moves the lorax out of his way with his foot. "Go away, you fuzzy orange meatball"

"Meatball, that's new. Anyways, why are you still here?" the Lorax questions.

"I could ask you the same thing." Tom walks off

——

As the Onceler leaves, he finds himself thinking about his new accomplice. Or were they friends? Onceler shrugs, as he doesn't know the answer to that. He sits back in his cart and closes his eyes, dozing off.

He arrived in Greenville in about an hour. As soon as he arrived people lined up to get a thneed. His box of thneeds disappeared quickly, much to the dismay of the townsfolk.

Onceler sits at the back of his cart, counting the cash.

"Seven thousand twenty three-Twenty four-and twenty five!" He slams the bundle of cash down on the wood of the cart, along with the other stacks of cash. With a big smile he puts the large stacks into the box, then tapes it shut. He heads to the front of the cart and plops down, then heads back to the Valley.

——

"Fuck off you over sized cheato!!" *angry snek noises*

"WHATEVER EMO BOY!!"

Onceler groans as he hears the faint yelling of the stupid Lorax. He looks around the area to see his cousins and uncle working, but not his mother or aunt. He sighs. Couldn't expect more.

He hops off his cart and grabs the box of cash, glaring at the Lorax.

"What the HELL is going on!" He kicks the Cheeto.

"Fuck off beanpole, this kid threw a fork at me!!"

Onceler rolls his eyes and heads into his tent. He tucks the box under his bed, then heads back out.

"I'm not in the mood for your drama Lorax!"

Tom stands next to the Onceler. "So, how did it go."

"Well, considering I made-" he looks back at his cousins and lowers his voice. "-a few thousand dollars, I'd say it went pretty well."

"That's good." Tom glances at Brett and Chett. "Yeah, your cousins are stupid."

"Where's my mother? In the RV I presume?"

"Yeah, didn't see her move once."

"Well, I know who to kick to the curb first then." Onceler sighs and sits down on the grass.

"Sorry about your family, Onceler."

"Not your fault." Onceler pulls out a handful of grass and fiddles with it.

"I know, but it still sucks" Tom lays on the grass and sighs.

"Your family must be so much better than this." Onceler grumbles.

"Don't really have one of those."

"You don't have one? Tch-you're lucky." Onceler sighs and tosses the clump of grass at the RV.

"Yeah, that or your family is just downright awful."

Onceler blinks, then lays down on the grass next to him.

"This valley is beautiful though, probably one of the upsides to being here, right?"

"It would be better without the Lorax-but yes, it looks nice here."

"Even with those freaky creatures." Tom shutters.

"I suppose so." Onceler closes his eyes and hums.

"You'll get through this, I'm sure eventually the lorax will give up. It happens to all weaklings."

"Yeah, well, the Lorax doesn't give off weakling vibes." Onceler lays back on the grass with a thud.

"True, he's-or it's-stubborn, that doesn't mean you won't get rid of him though. Some obstacles are tougher than others, you know."

"There's only one way the Lorax will leave." Onceler grumbles and stands up. He walks over to a tree stump where he left his hatchet.

"And that would be?"

"He needs to be chopped up and fed to my Aunt Grizelda." And with that the Onceler walked off, looking to locate the little rat.