There's so many ideas from other fanfictions that are so good I'm starting to take them for granted! Lemme know if you spot something of yours.

Testing
'More wind, more wind!'

'All right Charlie! Ready?'

Charlie nodded, hefting the kite above his head. Mr Wonka stood at the foot of the slope in the Chocolate Room, the string of liquorice taught and ready.

'Turn on the fan!'

The Oompa Loompas, never too far away, obeyed instantly, and Charlie's hair ruffled in the strong steady wind. The kite caught immediately, and he gripped it tightly. The smell of raspberry made his mouth water. An Idea struck him. 'Mr Wonka!'

'Yah?'

'Let's put a packet of little candy stars in the kite, so when it flies, they all fall out!'

'Or even better, we'll put them in bows on the tail, how about that?'

'Great!'

'Let's test it out first, 'kay? One...'

Charlie concentrated on the kite.

'Two...'

The liquorice went tight.

'Three!'

Charlie threw up the little raspberry kite, and it glided towards the ceiling, the tail rippling in a shower of icing sugar. Mr Wonka laughed delightedly. 'Ha ha! It's working!'

Grinning from ear to ear, Charlie ran down the hill, where Mr Wonka passed him the string. 'Can we make a bigger one, with two strings?'

'Sure we can, Charlie! I think I could even make it whistle, too.'

'Fantastic!'

The sharp, aniseed smell of the liquorice clung to Charlie's bare hands. It was amazing how much his palate had changed since they'd moved house, literally. A whole new world of subtle, intricate textures and tastes was opening up to him within the factory.

Mr Wonka had changed too, since the arrival of the Buckets. He no longer shied from physical contact - well, not as much. After having been all but dragged into the house for dinner on the first night, he was now a regular at the table, and was even starting to contribute to conversation. Those first few nights, he had been awkwardly silent. Charlie supposed he was in shock from so much human contact. After ten years with only Oompa Loompas, humans had to hurt a bit.

Mr Wonka's excited voice brought him back to the meadow. 'More wind, more wind!'

The liquorice went tighter and tighter, and Charlie dug his heels in. 'I think it's strong enough, Mr Wonka!' He wrapped the string around his wrist and tugged, grinning with delight as the little kite danced higher and higher.

'No Charlie, we've got to break it! Then we'll know exactly how strong it is!'

'But what if--'

Snap.

Charlie, released of the tension, toppled over backwards with a yell. The kite shot up and away, and was lost amongst the chocolate pipes. Everything was tested to the limit with Mr Wonka.

Said chocolatier had worked his way back up the hill, peering up at the ceiling a mile or so above his head. 'Where'd it go?'

Charlie picked himself up and joined him, answering around a mouthful of liquorice. '...Across the river, I think, Mr Wonka.'

His mentor levelled a look of mock annoyance. 'Oompa Loompas do the testing, my dear little boy, not you. We don't want you sprouting a tail, or turning silver, or--'

'Or becoming a blueberry,' suggested Charlie with a smile, swallowing the liquorice.

Mr Wonka's lavender eyes took some inner focus, and he giggled lightly. 'County Fair... Heh heh!'

Charlie pointed suddenly, 'Look, there it is!'

'Where? Where?'

'Floating in the river!'

'Quick! Get it out!'

fin