I found this idea while polishing up the latest chapter (chapter 58 - Out to Play) of A Chocolate Factory? and decided it seemed rather Willy like. Therefore, why not just write and post it? New oneshots are always fun!
Inventing Rooms are For...
There was a knock at the inventing room door. With a smile, Willy hurried over to open it, and ushered his heir in.
"Come in Charlie, come in," Willy welcomed the boy, warmth and excitement in his tones. The day had finally arrived! It was time to test out the first candy idea Charlie had given him.
Not that Charlie was aware of the fact he had inspired Willy! Oh no! Charlie had simply been full of the fun of having been outside and that he had seen his breath in the form of "steam." Willy had been quick to explain that it was actually known as condensation. Then Charlie had lamented that he didn't have something called a "Candy Stick." The boy had been quick to explain that this was a small circular stick, hovering in between the size of a match stick and a cigarette. They were white in colour, and came in a box similar to match sticks. It was common for children of his age to use them as if they were cigarettes.
Charlie had never actually tasted one, so he couldn't tell Willy anything about the texture or flavour, but he was adamant that they remained the same colour the whole way through, and seemed hard to the touch. The game, a boring one as far as Willy could tell, was to take a small bite of the stick while breathing in, and then to exhale, pretending to blow out smoke. The game only worked properly when it was cold enough for your breath to appear as condensation. That didn't stop the children from playing at any time though, it just wasn't as effective when the weather was warm.
This conversation hovered at the back of Willys head for a few weeks, something tingling there. Wouldn't it be fun if... Experience had taught Willy that if he was patient enough the idea would eventually emerge, ready for him to experiment.
This idea was no different. By the end of the fourth week Willy had his "eureka!" moment. Wouldn't it be fun if he could create something that made it seem like the children were smoking even without the need for it to be cool enough for condensation?
Willy quickly began gathering the supplies he would need so he could start his experiments. He wouldn't be able to start until the following morning, but he wanted to know that everything was ready, so that he could make a start as soon as he entered the inventing room. Before he left, Willy made sure he had a note of exactly what he wanted to create. That would help focus his thoughts when he was ready to begin.
The following morning, Willy found himself rushing to the inventing room. He had barely slept the night before, so excited was he about his latest idea. In fact, Willy had almost found himself impatient and snappish with Charlie, when the boy came to say "goodbye" before heading off for a days adventure outside the factory. Willy didn't have time for this! He had a new candy to invent!
The following weeks had flown in. Willy spent two hours each day on his new invention. Progress was good. In fact, this idea was so good that Willy actually had four viable alternatives for the final product. Maybe he would use all of them. They could be like different flavours of the same thing.
He was almost chuckling with excitement when the Oompa-Loompa testers began their job. Of course, there were the usual teething problems, like Adrin, who had found steam coming out of his ears! Didn't he look funny! Willy could laugh at it now, though at first he had been rather concerned about the health of his employee. Then there had been the version that had Taylin breaking out in song. The tune reminded Willy of bird song, but he could understand every word, which meant that things weren't quite so concerning as they could have been.
Willy shuddered, remembering a previous experiment. Tweet candy had been an annoying experience all round, that poor Oompa-Loompa, Jamit, who tested that idea out was never quite the same after the experience. Willy was therefore doubly relieved when Taylin suddenly started talking normally again. Then there was Sammyesks experience. After her third inhalation, the newest taste tester, who had just joined the team that morning, had uttered an exclamation of surprise. She opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out. There, dancing on the very tip, was a small flame. It didn't seem to hurt her, although she did go rather cross eyed when attempting to see it. Willy thought the effect of the small light jumping around the tip of her tongue rather cute. He doubted he could market these, but in the safety of the factory, it would likely be fine for this version to be used.
Finally, after about five minutes of her standing with her tongue out, and the tiny flame getting no smaller, Willy suggested that she close her mouth again. A minute or so later, she gave another exclamation of surprise. "Melted marshmallows!" she stated, swallowing.
Willy paused at that, and thought. He had no idea how the flame hadn't harmed her, he would have to look into his ingredients to see what might have caused that effect, however, that particular candy had its centre made of marshmallow. It seemed that the effect of sucking on the stick had been to pull part of the centre into the girls mouth, and the "flame" had then melted the marshmallow, giving the sensation of eating melted marshmallows at a bonfire.
The time with the Oompa-Loompas had eventually created a clear winner, and it was this that Charlie was about to try. Anticipation filled the air as Willy handed Charlie a small box; the Oompa-Loompa testers gathered round, all eager to see what Charlie thought of the result of the last few months of work they had all put in. Henley's hair was still that strange grey colour. Willy hoped that it would grow in its usual colour again very soon. All the Oompa-Loompas had been very careful not to get caught by the "smoke" after his experience.
Charlie looked at the box Willy had handed him, face reflecting wonder and confusion. What was this? It was about the size of a small cigarette packet. The box was red, with the words "Wonka's Candy Smokes" emblazoned along the top in a stunning silver writing.
"Why don't you open it?" Willy asked him, encouragement warming his tone.
Charlie smiled back at him, before returning back to his task, an air of eager anticipation suddenly settling on him. He pulled off the tab that held the box closed, and then opened the lid. There were five white objects inside. With another smile of encouragement from Willy, Charlie shook one of the objects out. It mostly looked like a cigarette, except for something that looked like a red boiled sweet on one end.
"Bite off the red bit Charlie," Willy suggested. Doing as he was bid, Charlie found it was a similar texture to a jelly sweet, and the slightly spicy taste of aniseed filled his mouth. Grimacing at the flavour, he quickly swallowed, and shot a disgusted look at Willy.
"You simply had to make that part taste of aniseed, didn't you Willy!" he grumbled. Willy laughed and apologised.
"I'm sorry my boy. But I needed something to counteract the flavour of the next bit. Look at the smoke now." Charlie looked at the candy, lips pursing in curiosity. There seemed to be a light steam floating up from the end that he had bitten off.
"That's a candy making secret I will teach you eventually." Willy told him, before he had a chance to ask. "Now, put the other end in your mouth, and pretend you are smoking it." Charlie glanced at the man from the side of his eye. Did he really want to do as he was asked? The last experience hadn't been good.
Willy continued to sit there impassively. Charlie would do as he was asked if Willy waited long enough. Willy had to admit that he would have been cautious about trying something if he had been shocked by a flavour he disliked on the first taste. A minute passed, and finally Charlie lifted the 'smoke' to his mouth, eyeing the thing as if it were a rattle snake that might lunge out at him at any moment.
The cautious way Charlie was treating the candy meant a good minute had passed before he got the thing to his mouth. When he did so, he gripped it between his lips, and held it there, as if it were a cigarette.
"Now suck on it Charlie!" Willy looked so eager that despite his apprehension, Charlie sucked on the end. The gentle action pulled a little of some powdery substance into his mouth. Sweet. Sherbet. Charlie found himself smiling from ear to ear.
"That's fantastic Willy!" Then, eyes focussing on the air he had breathed out, "glitter?"
"Isn't it fun Charlie!" The excitement in Willys tones caused Charlie to laugh. Fun? That description hardly scratched the surface. Charlie looked at the "smoke" once again. How could such a small thing do so much? He put the candy back in his mouth, sucking harder this time, enjoying the sweet, tangy flavour of the sherbet as it hit his tongue. Then he paused while the stuff melted, the sensation on his tongue reminded him almost of a gentle tickling. Then he blew out, laughing in delight as he saw the air in front of him sparkling.
"These are fantastic Willy! I love them!" The group of Oompa-Loompas gave a cheer as he delivered his assessment. It was always wonderful to see the reactions of others as they first experienced a new Wonka candy. It made all their hard work, all the dealing with strange side effects, worthwhile. Coming up with an amazing idea, that excited those who tasted the end result, was always the best reward, after the endless supply of cacao beans of course. But one was about survival and enjoyment, the other was about satisfaction. It was rare for the Oompa-Loompas to receive that satisfaction, so every opportunity was relished.
Charlie frowned at the candy he still held in his hand, as he pondered this new invention of Willy's.
"I'm not sure how much Mom will approve though," he eventually commented. "I could see her saying that we shouldn't encourage children to smoke." Willy smiled, pleased to be able to talk through his latest idea with his apprentice.
"Children play the game anyway, Charlie, you yourself introduced me to the concept, remember?" Charlie frowned at Willy, something in his face telling the man that he was considering this statement. "Maybe the candy will keep children children for longer. I've seen people of your age with the real thing. Maybe having something more realistic, something that is more enjoyable than breathing in nasty smoke, will stop them from having real cigarettes for longer. For some, it's also a habit, having something in their mouth to suck on. Maybe these will help with that."
Charlie nodded his head. Willy could well be right at that. Maybe that was reason enough to give this new candy a fair trial. Seeing his apprentices face softening, Willy heaved a sigh of relief. He so wanted to market this, it could give enjoyment to so many, but if Charlie had disapproved, it would have taken the gilding off of the idea.
The Oompa-Loompa taste testers had been listening to the debate, a sense of anxiety surrounding them. Would their work be condemned after all? Willy's reaction reassured them, and they let out a cheer of excitement. It was all going to be ok after all.
The sound reminded Willy of their presence, and the other idea he had liked. He called Sammyesk over. As the first Oompa-Loompa to experience the treat, it was custom that she should then be the official demonstrator.
"This idea is not going to be sold outside the factory my boy," Willy explained as she took the soft smoke out of its packet. "We call them "soft smokes" as one of the main ingredients is marshmallow." Sammyesk was biting the slightly sour sweet off the end of the pink cylinder she held. She quickly ate the jelly sweet, before putting the other end into her mouth. Charlie watched its growing wonder as she took three 'puffs' of her soft smoke. Then, without warning, she giggled and opened her mouth.
Charlie was amazed as he watched the tiny flame dancing on the end of her tongue. What was that? Willy had been watching Charlie, the boys face was so expressive, Willy mused, before jumping in to explain.
"Tests have shown that it is a real flame, it needs oxygen to survive, but can last for up to ten minutes if you let it. Closing your mouth extinguishes it, and you get to enjoy melted marshmallow once the flame dies. It doesn't harm the person in any way, and the soft smoke is only good for one flame. After that, there isn't enough 'juice' left for another shot. It's pretty cool while it lasts though!"
The look of disbelief on Charlie's face had everyone chuckling. Soon Charlie joined in as well. You just never knew what to expect from Wonka. You thought you knew what he was up to, and then he came up with something like this, and stunned you once again. One thing Charlie knew, however strange things sometimes got inside the factory he would never trade it for anything. This was his home now. He thrived on strange, and was looking forwards to the day he began to produce his own kind of strange. In the interim he would simply revel in being able to share in Willy's brand of strange. Giving Willy a quick hug of congratulations, Charlie returned to his family suite, leaving the older man to finish up for the day.
With Charlie gone, Willy turned to wave a cheery goodbye to the excited Oompa-Loompas, who were off for an evening of celebrating with the rest of the tribe, Willy smiled, feeling content at the success of his latest project. This was the first candy inspiration he had brought full cycle since Charlie and his family had moved into the factory. It seemed appropriate that it was an idea inspired by Charlie himself. It was time for the candy smokes to move out of the inventing room, into one custom built for them. They would begin that task in the morning. Meanwhile Willy locked the inventing room door behind him. It was time for him to return to his suite and revel in a successful day.