"Slow Your Roll"- Or, In Which *Pinocchio's* Offered a Golden Ticket, and Annie Gives Guy AN IDEA
Pinocchio tried to speak since he now felt a little calmer and more at ease thanks to Danny Elfman's magic with music (especially Tim Burton scores, but his others such as 'Black Beauty' weren't something to sniff at, either), but the words still stuck in his throat- his tongue still frozen and glued to the roof of his mouth. He was *BEYOND confused* and not a little rattled...
So it was Nuka who instead inquired, "-Okay. Could someone *pretty please* explain to me and my boyfriend/mate *what THE HECK'S* going on here??? Because a VIP like either Will Stacks or Ginny Wonka doesn't just invite someone to lunch- not without *an ANGLE*, anyway."
Mr. Harry took a deep breath in, then let it out. The driver simply tisked and shook his head before whistling scornfully.
"-For some reason or other, for all that Will Stacks is already a billionare and part of one of the most successful companies *in the world* if not simply the United States of America, he wants to run for mayor as well- says that the city *NEEDS his help*. And, the bigger the profile, the better for the company," Mr. Harry explained with a tired look in his bright green eyes from behind his not-so-rounded or taped glasses which he pushed up the bridge of his nose more similar in shape to his mother's than his father's. "Well, -something *REALLY BAD* happened just yesterday; and I mean 'bad' to the point of people *making parodies of it* like they did with 'Let It Go' from 'Frozen' back in 2013, complete with original sound effects! But then, while Mr. Stacks was taking a walk due to his car suddenly stopping, he and young Annie happened to run into each other, Annie accidentally fell into the street, and ...he saved her from getting hit by a van that was just behind her.
"Someone recorded it, and- *it went VIRAL*. He went up five points in the polls."
"Okay... That more than explains *Annie*, -but where exactly does 'NOCCHI come into play, much less Miss Wonka???" Nuka wanted to know.
It was the driver by (possible nick)name of 'Lofty' who answered readily this time in his own crisp stiff UK accent that sounded more than a bit like Hugh Grant. "You see, Prince Nuka Jackson, it's like this: at the same time or almost at the same time, young 'Pine-Eye' and Miss Ginny happened to bump into each other as well, though thankfully NOT also ending up in the street and having to be rescued in order to not be run over. And either the same nosy person or someone else just as obtrusive *recorded THAT*, and IT went viral. Therefore, Mr. Stacks' campaign manager Mr. Guy Danlily (a *DREADFUL* name in my own personal opinion, and someone who just- *eugh*, gets under my skin and makes it CRAWL with all of his *FAKENESS* i.e. smooth slick charm) has decided to ...eh, CAPITALIZE ON this. On *BOTH happenings*, since young Master Pinocchio Orfano and Miss Ginny Wonka are- well, quite famous thanks to Mr. Lorenzini-Collodi, Mr. Disney and Company, Mrs. Rowling, *HER movie company* that she agreed to work with, and Mr. Dahl."
Nuka felt like he'd been walloped upside or around the head with Rapunzel's cast-iron frying pan or musical silver hairbrush-turned-magic paintbrush after receiving *THIS bit of news*. -And Pinocchio felt those butterflies not only return and begin dancing again with a vengeance, but turn into BATS where there weren't swamp snakes squirming and slithering in his stomach. Already, he *did NOT* like the sound of this 'Guy Danlily', or his campaign tactics; it was all too 'Volpe e Gatto'. *ANY rendition*, whomever portrayed them.
He felt more than a little sick- and like he'd been touched with *SLIME*, to boot. Five or four gold coins in his pocket or no, he and Annie plus Miss Ginny Wonka were apparently MEAL-TICKETS for Signor Will Stacks' Operation: Mayor. -Here was hopingHOPING*HOPING* that he was much more genuine and honest despite Mr. Guy's tactics...!
"-So that's what you *DIDN'T tell me* yesterday," Nuka finally ekked out once he'd punched air back into his chest. "Weren't able to because of the SNAFU you'd already dealt with beforehand."
"Uh-huh..." was all Pinocchio could mumble miserably as he nodded his head, then lowering it further so that both his bangs and longer locks near-hid his face. "'M sorry, Nuka- *AWFUL sorry*! For- For not mentioning *Annie* at least if not telling you *EVERYTHING*..."
The former semi-Pridelands Lion Prince's coppery eyes were now *nothing BUT* soft, tender, and warm, as was the way his tufted tail gently caressed his leg again and his hand-paw gently squeezing the younger dark-haired male's thigh. "Pinocchio- 'Nocchi, baby- you have *NOTHING* to apologize for/to me *about*! N-O-T-H-I-N-G, in English, Italian, Swahili, Zulu, and every other kind of language; okay, 'maliaka'?? You weren't just *a MESS* when you and Annie came back to Miss Hannigan's last night- you were *IN PAIN* because of what that- STUPID JERK and *caring-but-oblivious cotton-headed ninny-muggins* did to you! *You were HURT*, sweet- so hurt... so OF FLIPPIN' COURSE you wouldn't say anything about whatever happened afterwards before you came 'home'!
"It's. *ALL*. Good, Pinocchio 'mpwenda'. Okay?"
Pinocchio didn't say anything- just quietly nodded in reply and gently rubbed his sneakered foot against Nuka's own calf.
(And he didn't feel any better from seeing *a BILLBOARD* displaying clear as day the enlarged picture of Mr. Will Stacks saving Annie from being run over by a car, much less the people STARING, *TALKING ABOUT*, and *pointing up at it*. -Oh, *just GREAT*! FANTASTIC! *WONDERFUL*! There was a maxi-sized picture of *his and Miss Ginny's supposed-to-be-private moment of suddenly unexpectedly meeting each other* as well!
This *HAD to* be the doing of Mr. Guy Danlily. ...Pinocchio already intensely disliked him, even if he hadn't yet met him- from his face, to his voice, to his clothing, to his catchphrases, to his body language. Slick- sly- *DIS-honest*- shifty- shady- guileful; foxy in *the WORST* way, and giving cats or Cats a REALLY BAD name. Greedy gluttonous prankish *Garfield Arbuckle* was more undeceptive and honorable than this- this- CHARLATAN! How d' ya like *THOSE apples*, huh??!)
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There would be QUESTIONS that *DID NOT need to be asked* if Pinocchio didn't eat, or looked and felt sick to his stomach, so when he was kindly offered a Stomach Soother and Calming Draught, he downed both the moment they were handed to him- then instantly painted on a bright sweet smile once he, Nuka, Mr. Harry, Annie, and Miss Grace were out in public and had reached Will Stacks' office where apparently they would be having lunch with Mr. Stacks plus Miss Ginny Wonka.
-Ohhhh. AND, apparently also, *the entire Wonka family* plus an awful pretty lady with long curly golden-brown hair and large long-lashed pale blue eyes dressed beautifully to the nines who had to be *Lavender Brown*. But *WHY* was SHE here, as well??? -She must be either Mr. Harry's girlfriend or wife, ...or Miss Ginny's.
Thankfully, even if the scrumptious quantities of food were all on china, crystal, and literal *SILVER-ware*, the meal was more of a BUFFET than something akin to a restaurant with 'penguin-suited' waiters and waitresses. But it was SETTLED- Pinocchio indeed *did NOT* like Mr. Guy Danlily, who was no more genuine than Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Too-Many-Titles-Which-He-Didn't-Even-DESERVE-Never-Mind-Defeating-Grindlewald Dumbledore or Blaine Anderson. *UGH*...
"And *here they are*!: our own Little Orphan Annie and the one and only marionette who can sing and dance *with-OUT* strings Pinocchio!" he exhaulted complete with wide-open arms, slight jazz-hands, and a seemingly warm beaming smile that reached his eyes.
He could FEEL Nuka's disgusted inward eye-roll and hear him mutter "*Oh, GOOD GRIEF*...!! What a BUILD-UP! What a *kiss-arse suck-up*!" in Swahili aloud.
"*Foster kid*."
'I'm *a CREATION*, for your information, "signore"- and I AM Real as anyone else, thankyouverymuch!'
Just then, Mr. Will Stacks and Miss Ginny Wonka 'nee Prewett-Weasley strode forward in order to greet their respective special honored guests warmly and shake their hand(s) in front of a small crowd of photographers and reporters lying in wait on the edges of the room. *Thank you God, thank you angels, thank you Holy Spirit, thank you Holy Family*- RITA SKEETER was absolutely *NOT* among them either in witch or Animagus form!! *ONE pro*, at least...
"*Annie*! Good to see you! So how are you feeling from yesterday? Alright?"
"-So we *meet AGAIN*, my lad. Good afternoon, young Pinocchio! How do, darling?"
Another pro to a lot of uneasy cons: Miss Ginny's bright brown eyes were as genuinely warm as ever. Same with her lovely dazzling smile. She was nowhere near 'fake' or a 'gold-digger' anymore than Mr. Harry or Miss Grace; *NOTHING* like Signor Guy of the slick sharp dark pinstriped suit and carefully-combed graying dark hair, 'grazie e cielo'...!
(And *just vaguely*, he could see genuinity, substance, and truthfulness within Signor Will Stacks' own deeper brown optics, which made him breathe a little easier.)
Pinocchio and Annie just as cordially, happily, and eagerly shook hands and smiled for the cameras- then the latter muttered sotto voce, "*Slow your roll*."
"Excuse me??"
"Can we sit down and eat something first, please? It was a long drive."
After receiving not much help even from Grace, much less Guy, Mr. Stacks waved the photographers and reporters away to get some lunch of their own before he led Annie over to a table and Ginny did the same with Pinocchio- though *THEIR table* was much larger given not only *Mr. Willy Wonka and Charlie Bucket* and Miss Lavender Brown, but also a warm-eyed care-worn elder woman with graying brown hair dressed in grey who was *BEAUTIFUL* when she smiled despite seeming 'plain' and a cute little Afro-American girl with longish black hair and bright brown eyes wearing a pretty blue-and-white dress with white Mary-Janes and purple stockings. She looked an awful lot like Mr. Charlie Bucket had he been completely colored ...but she had Mr. Willy Wonka's magical sunshine smile-
Which meant that she must be *their daughter*. That they were MARRIED and *IN LOVE*...! -He KNEW they'd had chemistry together, any rendition...
"You already know *JUST Harry*, of course... THIS is my adopted brother Willard 'Willy' Gene Bucket-Wonka, my brother-in-law Charles 'Charlie' Peter Bucket-Wonka, my lovely adorable darling bookworm niece Nora 'Noodle' Ginger Bucket-Wonka, -and *this* is Willy's and my dearest darling wonderful mum Lisa Peggy Wonka! Also known as 'World's Greatest Grandma' to Nora, and the one who Started It All when it came to *WONKA'S chocolate*.
"And *THIS lovely lady* inside-and-out is my beloved girlfriend Lavender Stroma Brown. Unfortunately, cousin Fred couldn't make it, and neither could his own boyfriend Tadashi or his younger brother Hiro, -but they still wish you and Miss Annie Bennett all the best and hope you're both doing alright from yesterday."
Miss Ginny introduced each member of her much smaller non-birth family as though she were introducing a most rare and precious creature ...but NOT as though they were some zoo exhibit or 'freak' attraction at/in a circus for one to stare and gawk at. It warmed Pinocchio's pounding heart and turned at least one bat back into a butterfly.
"H-Hello, o-other members 'f 'famiglia' Bucket-Wonka," he smiled shyly with a bashful (and admittedly slightly starstruck) wave. "It's- 'S nice t' meet you all."
Mr. Willy, Mr. Charlie, Mrs. Lisa, Miss 'Noodle', and Miss Lavender all smiled or grinned and waved back warm and friendly- same with Nuka, once he was introduced.
They mostly blocked out Mr. Will Stacks' and Annie's own conversation while tucking in a bit until they not only heard "The more we're seen together, plus Ginger Wonka and Pinocchio, the better it is for my campaign", but "I bet if I *moved in with you*, you'd become PRESIDENT!"
And *from THERE*, Mr. Guy Danlily employed another sneaky underhanded tactic- especially when he saw Pinocchio's widened eyes darting over to Annie as though there was something funny going on that connected the two of them. "Hey- that's not a bad idea...! You know: Annie staying with you- and *Pinocchio* staying with the Wonkas! I mean, from what I understand, it's pretty CROWDED where you two live right now. How about *a little more space*? Is that something you kids might like??"
"Living with *a BILLIONARE*? -I'll allow it."
"Gettin' t' *LIVE IN a famous magical chocolate factory* 's well as visit 'n tour it?? W-Why not? If- If 'la famiglia' Bucket-Wonka d-doesn't mind, 'f course..."
"GREAT! *Perfect*!"
"*What are you doing*??!"
"Hey, relax- *CHILL-ax*, Will- Gin-and-Tonic! It'll just be for *a few weeks*, tops- then they'll go back! Take in *a FOSTER KID*? *Fifteen-point jump in the polls*, guaranteed!"
"-So you want us to *ACTUALLY play 'House'??"
"It's *easy-peasy lemon-squeezy*! All we need is a bed and meals. And you get one-hundred fifty-seven dollars a week. -You want photos, right?? *GOOD photos*? This is a way to get LOTS OF really good photos..."
"There are *EASIER ways* of getting good photos..."
"Not with ME in them!"
"You're not really thinking about DOING THIS, are you??"
"-I won't even know she's there. It'll be like *having a turtle*."
"Wonder if she has her shots..."
(In an undertone, Pinocchio explained just why he had to follow Annie wherever she went- especially *someplace NEW*. The Bucket-Wonkas and Miss Lavender were dumbfounded and a bit stricken- but they understood to a point. [...*Oh, WONDERFUL*. He'd be seeing Ms. Kovacevic again, and sooner than 'expected'...! *Just peachy*.])