Truffula Flu
is an After the End, multimedia fanwork for The Lorax which combines elements of roleplay, fanfiction and web comics. It makes heavy use of its medium, Tumblr, to allow for both detailed, fanfic like interludes, rapidly turned around roleplay and dialogue events, and a plethora of art.
It follows the stories of dozens of survivors who have been trapped in the once fertile Truffula Valley, after the R&D department of a certain Young Entrepreneur accidentally created a severe, rabies-like virus while trying to create Truffula Trees in new colors.
Within weeks, residents of Truffula Valley, Thneedville, and the surrounding regions have all but gone extinct, becoming the Infected: mindlessly predatory creatures covered in glowing yellow boils, with similarly lit eyes. Over time, some Infected decay into the slower, more shambling, classic variety of zombie.
Several different camps form the AU, each with their own character sets and storylines. A Truffula Flu wiki is currently under construction, which contains more detailed descriptions of the ongoing stories and characters.
Provides Examples Of:
- After the End: The story begins after the Flu has killed or infected most of humanity.
- Alternate Self: Roughly two thirds of the characters involved are "The Once-ler." For this reason, most are referred to by a nickname, such as Swag, Rocky or Entre(peneur). No attempt at explaining this proliferation of a single man is ever really made.
- Crossover: In a fandom sense, at least. Though the primary universe is an alternate version of the Lorax, characters from other fandoms participate, along with several prominent Original Characters.
- Plague Zombie: The infected are the result of a form of genetically modified rabies, or a similar virus. The search for a cure is a major plot point.
- Sanity Slippage: Most characters end displaying this at one point or another. The existence of the Anonymous Voices does not help.
- An Arm and a Leg: Swag loses his foot during a hospital raid.
- Bash Brothers: Swag and Rocky, or as they call it, Wreck Shit Bros
- Celebrity Survivor: Entre, Swag and 72 were all extremely successful businessmen before the Flu hit, and Rocky was a famous rock star.
- Dysfunction Junction: Is anyone in this camp not screwed up in one way or another?
- Everybody Smokes: Hilariously leading to a moment when the fanbase were angered by Swag giving Ted a cigarette... right after Swag forced Ted to kill an infected.
- I'm a Humanitarian: One, who was a cannibal prior to the outbreak, was initially infected by eating diseased flesh. He remains a sentient semi-zombie who now mostly eats the flesh of other diseased.
- It's All My Fault: Entre's general attitude. The start of the Flu was in fact his doing.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Swag, despite his harsh and mocking nature, has a few moments of genuine kindness towards the others in the group.
- Kill the Ones You Love: It's implied Swag had to kill his mother after she became infected. Not forgetting Entre being forced to kill Bitter, his best friend.
- No Zombie Cannibals: Subverted in that One, intelligent but nonetheless infected, eats other infected in lieu of human flesh.
- Rage Against the Mentor: Entre looked up to 72 as a mentor for a long time, but recently 72's respect for Entre has been lost, and the two bicker not infrequently.
- Sanity Slippage: Entre's sanity has been slowly escaping him since the start of the AU, with events like Bitter's death only spurring further onwards into madness. The infected One is losing his mind just as rapidly.
- Tragic Bromance: Entre and Bitter were best friends before Bitter gets infected and Entre is forced to kill him.
