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articskele · 3 months

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Hellao everyone!!! Buttermilk Daydreams lore be upon ye!!! :D

Tagging @iiboronii ouo

There’s a lot to see when you’re on the road. Landscapes that look like they came straight out of a movie, bright and vast as you look on in wonder. Stars shimmering overhead and ripples in the lake. The way sunlight shines through the leaves, the haze of a snowstorm, the layers in the sandstone.

Coyotes nipping at your heels, getting tipsy off cactus juice, trying (and failing) to identify edible plants, using marshmallow bags for pillows. Wait, are mules the ones that can stand on super steep inclines? Or was it goats… Yeah, yeah it was definitely goats. Ouch.

It’s a wild world out there, but it’s nothing you can’t handle!

And the sweet relief of finding a town to stop by for the night! A nice breath of fresh air, restocking on supplies, eating good food, and just having idle chit chat. Not to say that mules can’t be conversationalists in their own right, but it’s just nice to be around other people.

Beaming with pride and ambition as you regale the events of your journey to put yourself out there, to prove yourself, to change the world as we know it!!

Or at least that’s what you would do, if anybody bothered to ask.

—

Your heart is bursting at the seams with creativity and enthusiasm, just desperate to be noticed!! And one day, someone does!! This gal in a light blue sweater and overalls – says her name is Artic – matching your enthusiasm right off the bat as she bombards you with questions!

How will this invention of yours work? What about the prototypes? Your mule looks so soft, what’s his name? Woahh, you can play guitar? How long have you been out on the road? What have you seen?

And most importantly… Can I come along?

Turns out she’s been on the road too, with plans of her own and eyes to the skies. She loves his ideas! And not only does she want to see him succeed, she wants to help too! Nobody’s done that before!!

And yknow, she was actually prepared for a big journey like this and packed a lot of boring useful things the Onceler miiight have forgotten about.

And so, they were off!! Melvin now has to deal with two bumbling doofuses aklsdjs

—

They discover the valley, the Onceler sets up shop and chops down the first tree, and it isn’t long until he and the Lorax get in a squabble about it. But Artic steps in, trying to find a compromise.

If we can’t stay here, where else could we go? And besides, there IS a town not far from here. If they haven’t been a problem, then surely we could find a way to stay here?

On the other hand, if thneeds do become a smash hit and people want more, then what? You’ll cut down more trees, unable to stop just to keep up. And at that rate, they’ll all be gone!

Artic lights up as she gets an idea, whispering to the Lorax about it before being given a tentative go ahead. But for the Onceler, it's a surprise and she does a cheeky wink as she runs off to the cottage.

Of course he’s all “Aw cmon! You'll tell him but not me?” and he tries to ask the Lorax what she said but he's not budging.

He tries to sneak a few glances when Artic’s tinkering away, but he can never quite figure out what she’s up to…

—

Until one day, Artic says she’s finally got it. It’s finally done! And she leaves a note saying to meet her at that super tall hill to the east!

The Onceler, the Lorax, and a buncha animals make their way up there, to see Artic with the biggest grin on her face! And straps around her shoulders and waist, and some kinda thingy on her back?

Wait, are those- FWOOSH

Big ol makeshift wings unfurl from her back, causing some of the animals to back up in surprise! She rolls her shoulders, and interestingly, her wings seem to follow the movement.

THIS is what she’s been working towards!! THIS is what she’s been working on for like a month!! THIS is what she, admittedly, had been sneaking out at night to test prototypes for-

You see, Artic wanted to make a way to grab truffula tufts without chopping down the whole tree! But in order to do that, you would need your hands free. So, she made wings that move with your shoulders and upper back!!

(Inspired by the fact that I can make my shoulder blades stick out of my back, and Artic’s wings have a wider range of motion because of that :D)

Plus having a bird’s eye view of the valley gives you an easier time seeing which trees have more tufts, which ones have nests so you don’t disturb them, and it’s just plain fun!!

—

As if on cue, the winds shift. And before you know it, she’s running up the hill, getting closer and closer to the edge until!!

She leaps off, fabric billowing as it catches the air, and she’s off!! Swooping down to a nearby tree, grabbing the tufts, and spiraling down to the soft grass below, her face just barely peeking out from the armfuls of pink fluff :D

The Onceler runs up and tackle hugs her, but she’s like “AAA WAIT” bc the wings are kinda fragile and wouldn’t handle her landing on her back too well, so the two of them just kinda spin around mid-hug to regain balance ouo

The Onceler is absolutely ENAMORED with the wings, inspecting every little part and the materials and how everything was put together and!!!!!

Actually, speaking of which, he suggests that she could've used a different type of stitch on the fabric in order to keep all these moving parts together.

To which Artic admits that she doesn't actually know how to sew, she just figured it out from watching him- So he offers to make celebratory pancakes and teach her a thing or two ouo!!

—

I’ve always imagined Greenville looking less… Suburban? Is that the word? Honestly everytime I see canon Greenville it’s a jarring experience aklsfjds

I picture half-timbered style houses, little flower planters in the windowsill, this central farmer’s market type area in the center near that marble gazebo thingy the Onceler performs at.

Maybe there’s a part where the land goes upwards into a hill, and that was made into a dirt path that goes up around the back of the town where you can look over the whole thing!

And there’s a grassy flowery field up there that makes for a perfect picnic spot ouo. Maybe a small pond too!

The whole place just feels more organic and cozy ouo

—

The two of them go into town for the first time, with Artic selling pies and people love it, while the Onceler tries to sell his thneed and you know how that goes.

The look in her eyes when she sees how they're treating him- And the fact that everyone's being so nice to her just makes it worse! They broke his guitar and everything ono

Where's that one meme of someone holding another person and pointing their finger bc THAT'S HER. Just holding this dude way taller than she is and ready to throw hands aslkfjsdf

And when they get back she offers to wash all the tomato out of his clothes and she’s just so sweet and supportive and arghrgksdfd I need to be there for him!!!!!

She finds a buncha seeds in the tomato splatter, so they grow their own tomato plant outside the cottage! Finding good even when things don’t go as planned, and now they get to make a homemade pizza together!!

—

And by this point Artic had built a second set of wings just for him, larger and more built for gliding long distances as opposed to Artic’s more angular high speed wings.

There’s this scene in my head where he’s using the wings for the first time, and he loses balance and almost crashes but Artic swoops in and saves him, and they’re just smiling at each other and akjskdf <3

—

Artic and the Onceler making homemade hot chocolate! They were originally just making it for themselves, but the Lorax showed up like “What are you two makin all this racket about?” along with some other critters, so they ended up making a whole buncha hot chocolate for everybody!!

Here we've only got one rule, never ever let it cool!!

Just this fun montage of them getting everything prepared! What do you MEAN you haven’t seen the hot chocolate scene in the Lorax movie-

Eventually they run out of mugs, so they had to use stuff like bowls and gravyboats- And they had a buncha toppings to go with it! Candy canes and cinnamon sticks and chocolate wafer sticks, and of course a buncha big ol marshmallows ouo

Artic and the Onceler clink their mugs together and everybody sips their drinks and there’s just this big collective sigh of comfort -u-

The Lorax gets a hot chocolate mustache, and if this were a real scene in the movie, I could totally see “double mustache” becoming an old fandom meme

The window’s open and it’s a bit chilly, so Artic goes to shut it, but she can see her breath a little bit. They don’t exactly have a weather forecast out there, but given those clouds in the distance they might get a snowstorm soon!! Her and the Onceler getting all excited about how they’re gonna make snowmen and have snowball fights-

Buuut they realize their little pop-up cottage situation probably isn’t built for that kinda weather. It’s certainly waterproof! I imagine it’s got a top layer of this thick scratchy tarp stuff with fabric underneath?

But either way there’s definitely not enough insulation for the cold. Not to mention the snow could build up on the roof and send the whole thing collapsing in on itself!

Luckily, these two are smart cookies with a love for tinkering. They’ll figure something out! They always do ouo

—

AAAA Artic and the Onceler are just so bright and energetic and full of life!!! Long days and bright skies and goofy little dances and the smell of fresh blueberry pancakes and going to the farmers market and stargazing and working with what you’ve got!

There's always some new invention or adventure or something to explore, just fun slice-of-life shenaniganry! The air is fresh and the sunlight is warm and everything is gonna be alright ouo

Now this whole time they’ve just been friends. Buddies! Business partners, even! But the Onceler thinks he might be starting to have feelings for her… So with no one else to go to, he asks the Lorax for advice.

Though not without a bit of searching first. Geez, where is that guy when you need him?

When asked what he likes about Artic, I mean, just look at her!

She’s brilliant! She made wings and jumped off a cliff and it worked, how crazy is that! She’s just so… Fun! And full of energy and bright like the sun! Oh, and she makes an amazing pie, you’re really missing out- And she listens to me, and we bounce ideas off of each other, and…

She thinks I’m worth something.

Basically these two are obviously crushing on each other but they’re sooo awkward and oblivious about it and the Lorax is just in the background like “KISS EACH OTHER ALREADY”

—

They have soooo many little nicknames for each other- They don't really use "standard" petnames but they'll just go back and forth calling each other all sorts of goofy stuff

Ollie. Butterfly. Hummingbird. Bumblebee. Morning glory. Buttercup. Sunflower. Dragonfly. Dandelion. Sweet pea. Bell pepper. Sweet potato. Milkshake. Apple fritter. Cornbread. Texas toast. Egg sugar salt flour bake at 350 degrees-

—

Suffice to say, neither the Onceler nor Artic had good families. But even if their circumstances were similar, the way they responded to it are near opposites.

The Onceler still wants to believe that his family cares about him.

Given how his family lives in the middle of nowhere, maybe he didn’t leave very often. And between that and a lack of friends, he never had much frame of reference for what’s healthy and normal.

He’s so used to just giving in and doing what they want, in the hopes that eventually they’ll see how hard he’s worked and give him the validation he craves. He set out on this whole journey to prove himself to his family.

He’s always been told that family is important, if not the most important thing out there. Blood runs thicker than water, they say. He still talks to them because they’re his family, how could he ever let them go?

So he keeps convincing himself that if he just tries hard enough, everything will work out.

—

Meanwhile Artic set out to prove to herself that there’s more to life than a cluttered room.

You go outside and feel fresh air fill your lungs and you remember the world is real again. Those mountains in the distance can be touched! They can be climbed!

There’s a feeling in your chest, in your gut. All the things you never did, all the things you never said. All that pent-up energy built up into the very core of your being and left to fester, acidic and searing through anything it touches.

But it doesn’t feel like that anymore. It hasn’t ever since you came to the valley.

Ever since you left that house you knew you were searching for something, but you could never quite figure out what.

But the answer was right here all along. You were looking for home.

Home is an unfamiliar concept to you. A vague sensation, a faraway daydream, something you never thought you’d see. But it’s here now. You’ve found it.

Open windows. A sunlit room. The smell of a cake in the oven. The soft strumming of music in the air. A warm embrace under soft, heavy blankets. You’re safe. You’re home.

—

Sometimes there are long, tearful nights talking about the past. Both of them coming to the realization that their circumstances were not, in fact, the most normal thing in the world. Nor did they deserve that treatment.

Both of them have been hurting for a long, long time. But in the subtle way, the way that makes you question if you’re just overreacting. A hundred little “not as bad as it could’ve beens”, tucked away in the cabinet.

One night, during one of these talks, Artic asks if she's… Damaged goods, so to speak. Of course to which the Onceler says she's not a burden at all!

We're both fruit in the basket that's been a little battered up but if there's anything he's learned on the farm, it's that overripe bananas make the best banana bread, and sometimes the watermelons with spots and webbing are the sweetest.

Like he just goes on a tangent about ripeness and flavor in crops and it's adorable and she's just watching him with a smile <3

Because now that they’re here, they can start to heal. They’ve found home in each other, and now, they’re never letting go. Figuratively or literally, they’re so snuggly they just cling to each other in their sleep like their lives depend on it

Also Artic has pajamas similar to the Onceler’s! Except they’re pink with offwhite hearts, and with short sleeves and shorts. And socks, specifically the white ones with the gray toe and heel ouo

—

With the sharp ringing of the telephone, the Onceler’s family calls him insisting to know where he is. Not because of his invention, but because they want money from him.

This wasn’t new, and back at the house, he had a habit of hiding his stuff so nobody would steal it. But when his family found out he had been hiding money from them, they’d just guilt trip him into handing it over anyways.

But if you budge on your boundaries, that won’t satisfy them. They’re just gonna keep pushing now that they know the pressure works.

—

So it isn’t long until a trailer barrels through the forest, and boy is it a mess

His family clowning him for living in the middle of the woods and still not amounting to anything, his mom keeps calling Artic his girlfriend (derogatory), everybody’s just trampling around like they own the place.

And while the Onceler is still very intimidated by all this, his movements made stiff with stress, he is able to stand up for himself thanks to Artic’s support. But they still show no signs of leaving.

So, Artic meets up with the Lorax and the animals and gets to planning. After all, they do say that intruders get cursed by the forces of nature…

Through a combination of nature and machine, a buncha little contraptions get set up in the night to scare the Onceler’s family away! And a sigh of relief sweeps through the valley-

When the trailer barreled in and outta there, a lot of trees got trampled and snapped. The leftover wood was then used for firewood, among other things.

The wood itself smells pleasantly sweet when burned, and they discovered that the inner bark makes for a cinnamon-like powder that tastes like butterscotch!

—

And for a while, things are back to normal, with the duo’s latest adventure being exploring the valley, charting it all on a big ol map! But one day…

He’s not quite sure how it happened. Artic was seemingly gone without a trace.

Both of them often split up to do their own thing, so it wasn’t a worry at first, but the day was almost over and she hadn’t even left a note. Maybe she had gotten lost in the valley? But her wings and the map were still at the cottage.

The Lorax says that he spotted her in town earlier, having what was clearly a tense conversation with someone he had never seen. He swore he only looked away for a second, but with that, she was gone like the breeze.

So with that, he grabbed his wings and set out to find her. Without much of a lead, the search took days on foot and hoof and wing alike. But eventually, he found it.

—

A regular old house, or so it would seem, In a place where not even fireflies gleam Grass that grickled and tickled and scratched at your skin A well-worn doormat that beckons you in

And in the dark hues of blues in the night Where clouds came to stifle the full moon’s light All the windows were shut, locked as tight as they could All but one, where a lone figure stood

There behind the curtains Look close and you’ll see Soft blue eyes drip, drip, dripping

—

I’m not exactly sure how her family found her in Greenville, or why they brought her back. I imagine for some kind of family event? But then there was a holiday coming up soon, and this, and this, and before she knew it she was living there again.

And she stayed there because she felt like she didn’t have a choice. That, and, she thought she could help. Her family is struggling, but if she stays any longer, this house threatens to swallow her whole.

Artic looked… Tired. Awfully so. She glanced to the side, almost yelling in surprise as she finally noticed the Onceler standing there at the windowsill sjkfsd

Hushed chatter, a quick kiss, having to hide and pretend to be asleep at one point… The hope in her eyes, accentuated with tears that sparkled in the hazy moonlight, was heartbreakingly bittersweet. I missed you so much.

…I wanna go home.

Then let’s go home.

—

When they get back everything seems all fine and dandy, but Artic can’t help but wonder.

They had bonded over their passion and spirit of adventure. For being as bright as the sun and twice as energetic. For all the ideas they’ve shared and the things they’ve made and the places they’ve been.

But what if she can’t always be like that? Would he still love her then? When she’s tired and scared and can’t get anything done? When she feels as though she could shatter at any moment? When she needs a lot of comfort and encouragement just to keep going?

She resents feeling so down, telling herself that she’s not supposed to be like this. That she’ll just bring everyone down with her.

Is it not Euridice’s fault for dying, for being the reason Orpheus trekked into the underworld? She’s terrified of losing what they have, but even more scared of being the reason it fizzles out.

But she’s brought out of her thoughts as a hand gently pushes the hair out of her face, followed by a dreamy sigh. There she is. There’s the girl he fell in love with.

—

Of course he’ll still love her when she’s feeling blue. How could he not? The Onceler fell in love with her, not just her happiness. How could he not love her in her darkest moments when she did the same for him? How could he not?

And besides, you can’t expect anyone to be happy all the time, especially not with what we’ve been through. You don’t have to be a certain way to be lovable, to be loved. You just are.

I love you. And I’ll say it as many times as I need to convince you.

—

One of these nights, they have dreams of if things were different. If the Onceler achieved incredible success beyond his wildest dreams, but it came at a cost. Of the valley, of his workers, of Artic.

Basically they dream of the Biggering AU, and when they wake up to tell each other the crazy dream they just had, they realize that the events line up perfectly. Some kinda funky shared dream situation

When they go and ask the Lorax about it, he just says that the valley works in mysterious ways.

To which the Onceler scoffs. He can believe a colorful valley and a giant furry peanut, but either of them being magic is too far!

The dream spurs conversation of what could’ve gone differently, if they would change things if they could, and if it would even be worth it.

But while things haven’t been perfect, they have each other, and they wouldn’t trade that for the world. The time will pass anyways, so might as well enjoy it.

They have another shared dream later, but this time it’s all sweet and fluffy with giant fruit ouo

—

Here is the playlist!!

High Hopes: The Onceler setting out on his journey, always keeping his eyes to the skies, even when the light hurts. He’s gonna shine that bright one day. Taking his mother’s words like "burn your biographies" and "light up your wildest dreams" and twisting them into something positive. This song is the embodiment of the Onceler’s optimism.

The Mall & Misery: The journey itself! Passing under archways of branches and leaves, across expanses of sand, over the rivers and through the reeds. Humble beginnings, working with what you’ve got, hope in every step. You are destined for greatness. And somewhere, a girl lives and breathes…

The Once-ler’s Traveling Madness: But yknow, even soon-to-be great inventors get bored sometimes.

World’s Smallest Violin: Meeting Artic!! Wanting to be something more, having ambitions so high it burns in your chest. I don’t think I can properly articulate the magic in this song. “Like finishing this melody / This feels like a necessity / So this could be the death of me / Or maybe just a better me!!”

This Is The Place (Tricky Version): Tricky version my beloveddddd I love how this song shows so much of his personality!! How he just carelessly hops from one thing to the next with a tip of his hat

Onceler Lorax Meet: This is also here just because I love this part of the OST, it’s so fun :D

Put Your Records On: Sunny days and a cool breeze, just Artic and the Onceler in the valley together! Loosening up a little, being goofy and free, calling each other silly nicknames! Believing in the Onceler when no one else did, hoping that his dreams come true ouo

Stars At Our Backs: I just can't help but think of this song when I think of the test flight, or just flying with the wings in general!! The spirit of adventure, the determination to try and try again and make this work, and that part at 2:35 just has this sappy romantic feel to it hehe -u-

Houseguests: Also just part of the OST bc I love it ouo

Everybody Needs A Thneed: The two of them are brainstorming songs to help him sell his thneed, and this is what Artic comes up with! There’s a little scene of her performing it in the cottage and it’s just delightful :D

Nobody Needs A Thneed: Another banger of a scrapped song!! ALSO THIS STORYBOARD IS CANON. TO ME.

Yesterday: Based on this hc!! In terms of story, this could be him still feeling down after failing to sell the thneed, playing the melodica since his guitar isn’t fixed yet.

Fine: Artic, the Lorax, and the animals cheering him up! Making him feel welcome, showing him that this isn’t the end. Another representation of his persistent optimism, and even the guitar in the song shows that it’s been fixed! ouo

September: Just soft and cozy and whimsical vibes -u-

Hot Chocolate: HOT CHOCOLATE SCENE MY BELOVEDDD :D This song is what inspired it in the first place!!

All I Want For Christmas Is You: THIS SONG. This has been stuck in my head for so long because of him. I JUST WANNA SEE MY BABYY STANDING THERE OUTSIDE MY DOOR- And the Onceler unironically loves this song, he’s suuuch a Christmas guy

Yes to Heaven: I struggle to describe what this one means. Somewhere between the Onceler being able to stand up to his family with Artic’s support, them realizing their love for each other, and how this is an AU where he doesn’t destroy the environment and it’s just peaceful ouo

With You Around: AND ALL MY LIFE I LOOKED FOR YOUUUU FOR ARMS THAT I COULD FALL INTOOOOO- If the Onceler family leaving marked the end of the movie, this is the opening to part two :D

Moon: There’s this scene where they make their way up a super tall hill that peeks above the clouds, taking in the view <3 Also there’s a single truffula fruit up there that’s the sweetest they’ve ever tasted

Search for the Girl: What the title says, the Onceler and his search for the missing Artic!

If I Needed You: Finding her and taking her home…….. Also it’s sung by Ed Helms ouo

Home: And here’s the part where I start crying if I haven’t already- They’re home now….. They’re safe….. They know each other better than anyone and the future is the soft glow of the sun peeking through the curtains on a brisk morning <3

We Fell in Love in October: I love you. And I’ll say it as many times as I need to convince you. AAAAAUGH

Go To Sleep!: Now with all that being said, it’s late and you have a bad habit of staying up. Time for eepy

Butterfly Wings: The shared dream plot! Also butterfly is one of the Onceler’s favorite nicknames for Artic <3

Strawberry Avalanche: A direct reference to the last dream with its giant fruit, just something unabashedly sweet and fluffy after everything these two have been through ouo

Sweet Little Bumblebee: Yeah I have no lore explanation for this I just like imagining them dancing to this song. Also sometimes the Onceler calls her bumblebee!

Hamtaro Credits: Artic finds some old Hamtaro DVDs in town so they watch some episodes together and it’s just nice and nostalgic. I picture them trying to do the little credits dance, and it makes for a cute end to the playlist ouo

—

And lastly, if you made it this far, here's an old sketch of the hot chocolate scene that I really wanna fully draw someday :D

#i don’t think i can properly articulate how much and how hard i cried writing this #i love how both aus work in such different ways!!#they open the door to explore and expand upon different parts of the world #im a little shy to tag people in this but i know iiboronii would wanna see it hehe ouo #and if you’re reading this thank you!! so much!! for wanting to hear about my silly goofy aus where i kiss the onceler aklsfjsd #you’re awesome :D #writing this out really helped me solidify the story and all that ouo #speaking of which!! there are even MORE ideas and scenes and stuff that i couldn’t fit in so check out this tag!! ->#buttermilk daydreams #onceler x oc #oc x onceler #selfship #lorax au #my nonsense

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