Rising Dawn (Willy Wonka X OC)

Settling In

The instant my family is in eyesight Will seems to stiffen all over, no longer moving gracefully and fluidly. He carries me in stiff arms, not shifting or wavering under my weight in the slightest. His untapped strength has been a shock to me ever since the hospital. He's a creative genius and paler than a vampire, but he has this reserve of strength that I haven't seen run dry yet, it's a curious thing. He's a curious thing.

He brings me into a sitting room-like area with several couches and lush drapes covering crystal clear windows that overlook some sort of jungle. Charlie is glued to the windows, constantly bouncing from one to another, following something with his eyes. I smile and inhale deeply. There's a fruity sort of smell to this room, but I would expect nothing less unusual from this factory.

Will sets me down on a springy purple ottoman and straightens awkwardly with his arms folded. Charlie runs over to me through the open space, something neither of us are used to indoors, and jumps onto the ottoman beside me. He bounces up and down and gets up and runs to Will, giving him a big hug around the waist.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Wonka! I love it here, and I just know my family will too. You won't regret this!" he spouts with a huge smile on his face.

Will doesn't look down, but he does hug Charlie back although he seems a little uncomfortable with the contact. Why isn't he acknowledging Charlie? That's a little rude. I follow Will's gaze to see what's wrong and notice his eyes are fixed on Grandpa Joe. I look away before either notice and see Mum talking quietly to Grandpa George at a shiny mahogany table.

All of a sudden, I hear the sound of at least a dozen feet marching down the hall. Everyone but Will turns to look. A squad of Oompa Loompas comes in, and they bow to me in one uniform gesture. I smile and bow back to them from my seat. They brought Will and I together and knew about our friendship before I did, they deserve much more than a bow. Will stands in his slacks and suspenders with arms folded and head turned to the side so he can watch out of the corner of his eye. The Oompa Loompas report to Will, standing single file waiting at his back. Will waves one hand dismissively towards the pile of our belongings in the corner. The Oompa Loompas all nod once and go to work moving things down another hall that appears to have several doors along each wall.

My family's reaction to the Oompa Loompas is amusing. Charlie smiles at them and waves as if there's nothing amiss. Mum watches them with an awed fascination and a hand over her heart. Grandpa George takes off his glasses and wipes them clean to make sure he's seeing clearly. Grandma Georgina is smiling pleasantly like she doesn't really know what's going on but is happy to be part of the action. Grandma Josephina's mouth and eyes are gaping the size of saucers. Grandpa Joe shrinks back a bit and looks confused.

I look back at Will just in time to see him finally tear his gaze away from Grandpa Joe and turn to the rest of the room.

"They'll take your belongings to your rooms, I've had them labeled for you, just let my Oompa Loompas know whose bag is whose. And if there need to be any room readjustments, let me know and we'll relabel the rooms." Will turns and makes eye contact with me. He starts to come over when Mum's words stop him in his tracks.

"Why do they have to be labeled?" she asks, partially to the hall, following an Oompa Loompa lugging a bag behind him.

Will pivots stiffly. "Because organization is what turned my amateur interest into this mastery of business, and I'll not have things lying about where they don't belong."

"Did you just call us 'things'?!" Mum shouts indignantly. Will goes to her quickly to guide her the rest of the way to the hall.

"Place for everything and everything in its place." He puts a hand on her shoulder and gently encourages her down the hall while she mutters angrily under her breath. Charlie hops up from his seat near Grandpa George and follows her to check out his room. Will gets back on his original course and comes over to sit beside me on the purple ottoman.