#im not sour about the previous ask. but i very much appreciate the validation asks either way

[skeletalheartattack]

i love following you. to be cringe is to be free. i hope you get ur huge skeleton bazonkas

[pictured: me accepting to be strange and so weird with it. free. big boobs too. not seen. currently. it's hard to tell but he's smiling. like this :) see? that's me. thank you.]

[how-to-survive-a-factory-tour]

How to Survive a Factory Tour - Chapter 7

A Sanders Sides / Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Crossover

PREVIOUS

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I can’t believe this! I’m here! I’m right outside Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory and will be going inside when the clock strikes ten! Only half an hour of waiting to go...

I’m the first of the winners to arrive, of course. By the time I arrived at the factory, a crowd had already formed, and it had started to get bigger since, forming a semicircle around, well, me! Since no one else is here yet, I have some fun giving the photographers my best angles for photos. I notice Dad rolling his eyes and Pa chuckling at me from where they’re stood in the crowd.

“Nice poses. Maybe you should do the ‘draw me like one of your French girls’ pose next.”

I turn to see Ethan come into the semicircle, holding up his ticket so people will let him pass through. Almost immediately, all cameras turn to him. I’m not surprised, given as he didn’t have an interview, so no one really knew he had the ticket yet.

“Hey, don’t make fun of me for being dramatic when you’re wearing that,” I reply. "If I’d known fancy dress was a requirement, I would have come in my prince costume.”

Ethan straightens his bowtie. “What can I say? I dress to impress.”

He certainly does. He’s wearing a tux: yellow shirt, with a black bowtie, jacket and trousers. He’s also wearing a black bowler hat and yellow gloves. Very snazzy.

“I must admit, it is a nice look. Colour coordinated and everything.”

“Well, thank you.”

“Hi, guys!”

We both turn to see Patton and Logan pushing through the crowd, Emile and who I can only assume to be Patton’s parents just behind them. As they step into the semicircle, Patton turns and hugs his parents and brother. “Bye, Mum, Dad! I’ll see you later. You too, Em. Can’t wait to tell you about it all!”

Logan offers his hand to Patton’s parents, shaking both their hands in turn. “It was nice to meet you, Mr and Mrs Picani.”

“You too, Logan, but please, call us Dot and Larry,” Patton’s mum replies. “Have fun, you two.”

“Bye, Pat!” Emile smiles as Patton and Logan turn and come over to us.

Patton’s wearing a sky-blue polo shirt and khakis, as well as what looks to be a grey cat hoodie tied over his shoulders. Logan’s sporting a black polo shirt, a blue striped tie and blue jeans.

“This is so exciting!” Patton grins. “I can’t believe we’re going into Willy Wonka’s factory! Oh, it’s going to be wonderful!”

“I know!” I grin, staring up at the colossal mountain of a factory before us. “I wonder what will be inside...”

“Oh, I’m sure it’ll be very sweet!”

Logan lets out a groan at Patton’s pun. “Can you not? Please?”

“Aw, don’t you like puns, Lo? That’s pretty sour. Especially with your name. It’s a berry good pun!”

”That’s it. I’m going home. When’s the next flight to London?”

Ethan and I chuckle at them both. I must admit, there is definitely some romantic tension there. I ship it.

“Can I ask why Logan looks like he wants to die?”

Virgil steps into the semicircle, Remy and, by the looks of it, his twin brother just behind him.

“Patton’s telling puns,” Logan replies. “He won’t stop.”

“Are you trying to say I’ve reached a new Lo- “

“Don’t.”

“-gan.”

“I’ve lost all respect I had for you.”

I mouth ‘OTP’ to Virgil and he nods, replying with ‘definitely’.

“Anyway, guys, this is Thomas, my twin,” Virgil introduces us. “Thomas, these are the guys.”

We all greet each other when something catches my eye. “Why the camera?”

“Oh, um, I’ve recently started a new YouTube channel,” Thomas explains. “I figured all this would make a great video. Remy even suggested Virgil hide a camera on him to catch footage of inside.”

“Too bad that would probably get me kicked out,” Virgil shrugs. “Also, I don’t have a camera that small, or a phone to record on.”

“It’s super cool you have a channel though, Thomas!” Patton smiles, pulling his phone from his pocket. “What’s your channel called?”

“It’s just Thomas Sanders.”

Patton nods, typing on his screen. A moment later he smiles. “Found it! I’ll check out some of your videos after the tour.”

“Oh, wow, thanks.”

“No problem, kiddo!”

“How much longer until you all head inside?” Remy asks, sipping his Starbucks.

“About ten minutes,” Ethan replies. “Not much longer.”

“I’m just so excited!” Patton grins, letting out a small squeal of delight. “We’re actually going inside Willy Wonka’s factory! It feels like I’m dreaming. Someone pinch me so I’m sure I’m not.”

I lean over and pinch him and then myself. “Hm... Nope, definitely real.”

Patton chuckles. “I’m glad.”

I can’t help but notice Logan purse his lips as I make Patton laugh. Already protective and jealous and they’re not even dating yet. Man, Logan is really deep in this crush. Maybe he’s even passed the crush phase and gone into flat out love and adoration. It’s adorable.

In fact, I shuffle over to Logan and whisper in his ear. “Don’t worry, Logan, he’s all yours.”

I hold back laughter as Logan’s face burns bright red and he shoots me a glare.

“Oh, don’t act like that, it’s obvious you have feelings for him. You should go for it. You live in different countries. This might be your only chance to woo him.”

Logan seems consider this, before sighing. “You’d have a point if I knew anything about flirting and romancing. I do not. There’s nothing I can do.”

“Well, in that case, today’s your lucky day, my nerdy friend.” I drape my arm over his shoulders. “You see, I am the master of romance. Let me tell you what to do.” I clear my throat and sing, seeing my chance to reference Be More Chill.

“You gotta buy him a rose Compliment him on his clothes Say you appreciate that he’s smart You gotta tell him that he excites you sexually And that’s the way you get to his heart!”

“Wait, what was that last one? I can’t have heard that correctly...”

“Oh, you did.”

“I’m not telling him that!”

“Fine... In that case, it’s simple. Give him a gift at some point during the tour, something you know he’ll love, and compliment him. Like, ‘I got you this flower because the light blue colour reminded me of your beautiful aquamarine eyes.’ Simple.”

Logan nods, but still looks uneasy. I pat his shoulder. “You’ve got this, Erlenmeyer Trash.”

“Gee, thank you.” Logan rolls his eyes at the nickname. Unfortunately, my chance to make a witty response is snatched away when Patton gasps.

“The gates are opening!”

We all turn to look, a grin stretching across my face. This is it, the moment I’ve been waiting for since I was ten and the first contest was announced.

There he stands: Willy Wonka, dressed in a purple tailcoat, bottle green trousers, and a black top hat, a cane clutched in hand. He bows as the crowd cheers.

“Welcome! Welcome one and all to my factory! Please come forward one at a time and present your tickets!”

The five of us share glances, unsure of who should step forward first.

“Shall we go in the order we won our tickets?” Logan suggests. The rest of us nod in agreement before Patton steps forward.

“Hi! I’m Patton Picani! My brother and I are really big fans of your sweets.”

“Patton, wonderful to meet you!” Wonka grabs Patton’s hand and shakes it vigorously. “I always love meeting fans! Can I see your ticket? Hm...yes, it’s perfectly in order. Please go wait just inside the courtyard.”

As Patton went through the gates, Logan stepped forward next, handing over his ticket. “Logan Berry.”

“Logan, welcome! Amazing to meet you! Your ticket is valid, you may go through. Oh, today is going to be such a wonderful day!”

Logan flexes his arm once it’s let go, heading over to stand with Patton. I step forward next, flashing a charming smile. “Roman Prince, at your service.”

“Roman, ecstatic to meet you! Enraptured, enchanted! Your ticket? Let’s see... Perfect! Go right on through.”

I head over to the other two as Virgil presumably steps forward next. “I can’t believe we just spoke to Willy Wonka! I’m having the biggest fanboy moment of my life!”

“I know, right?” Patton grins. “It’s so hard for me to hold back squealing with excitement!”

“Don’t either of you think your reactions are a little over the top?” Logan asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Not at all, Microsoft Nerd! I have been waiting for this day my entire life...”

Virgil comes over and joins us. “Honestly, I’m just glad to be somewhere where I can actually get a decent amount to eat.”

“Oh, kiddo...”

“It’s fine, Pat. Jokes are my coping mechanism.”

“Not exactly a healthy one,” Logan replies.

“Hey, there’s really nothing else I can do to help my situation. Making jokes is my one way to make my life a little less dark.”

The conversation is cut off when Wonka and Ethan come over.

“Everyone here? Yes? Good! On we go!” Wonka turns and heads towards the door leading inside. We all quickly follow.

This is going to be wonderful! I can’t wait to find what wonders of pure imagination lie inside...

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NEXT

Couple of authors notes!

1) Remember, this is also an ask blog! Don’t be afraid to send in asks for the characters. Anyone introduced so far can be asked!

2) After the new video, you'll probably be wondering whether Remus is going to be in this story. The answer is yes! He will be! However, it won't be until quite a bit later. Don't worry, he'll be here.

Taglist: @clone-number-1, @pumpkinminette, @i-have-n0-idea-what-im-d0ing

[patrick-donovan]

PUT UNDER ORDERS | DIANTRICK

WHEN: May 27th, 2020

WHERE: Patrick’s house

WHO: Diana Hummel & Patrick Donovan

EVENT: Patrick cooks dinner for a sad Diana. 

DIANA: There was an evident sadness about Diana. For a multitude of reasons.  First and foremost, because Skye was in the hospital, it made her sick to her stomach. But an underlying sadness was that Thea ruined something else for Diana. It wasn't Patrick's fault, and she wasn't going to hold it against im. Didn't make it any less uncomfortable to be around him now. Nervously she held er collar, eyes cast downward as she found it hard to even look at him. Purposely she sat on the sofa, a distance from him. "So…" She finally manages to choke out, "What's for dinner?"

PATRICK: Patrick was exhausted. He'd been put under orders by Matthias Venzo and it had token a toll on him; he was absolutely drained for energy. It didn't help that right before he was supposed to get out of those orders, both Thea and Diana had messaged him about their sister in the hospital. He had planned to just go home and sleep, because so much had happened in such a short space of time; he'd found out that Thea was there, there'd been the whole Switch attack on her sister and he'd been confronted about his libertine lifestyle. It was all a lot to deal with, on top of being new to the island and not knowing what the hell was going on or how he could get back. But compared to what Thea and Diana were going through, it was nothing. 

He couldn't imagine having someone you care so much for get attacked the way that Skylar had. Which was why he hadn't hesitated to put Diana under orders when she'd asked him to. She clearly needed a space where she could feel comfortable, even if Patrick had gone and fucked that up, by telling her that he knew Thea and had been trying to get into her pants for a while. Thea had sort of demanded that she know, and while he thought it wasn't the best time to tell Diana, he did know that she deserved to know the truth. So now, there was this awkward silence between them, as Patrick finished cooking the dinner for them. 

"Pasta," He said, turning his head to look at the girl and give her a smile. "I'm not a great cook, but if college has taught me anything, it's to make pasta," He plated the food and wiped his hands on a nearby towel, before taking it to Diana and sitting down next to her. His hand instinctively moved to rub her back. "How're you feeling?"

DIANA: Diana was trying, but it hung thick in the air. If anything, she was thankful she brought red wine and a charcuterie plate. Cause right now; she was a complete bundle of nerves. Something that was slowly calming down after her 3rd glass of wine.The air was thick with tension—she hated it, especially from a person; who just a few days ago made her feel so warm. She didn't want it to be this way between them. Not when she knew how easily they got along. This whole ordeal made her sick to her stomach with confusion.

When he sat down next to her, she instinctively topped off both their glasses Only to bring hers to her lips, eyes cast to the side. But she managed to bring a smile to her face, even if it was a bit forced. One that only began a little bit more excited and genuine when he mentioned pasta, "Really? I don't think I've had pasta in seven years… I'm sure it's marvelous! Don't think so poorly about yourself. I can't wait to try it."

When he began to stroke her back, Diana almost melted instantly. It was difficult for the girl to stay mad or sour. Especially when someone gave her the positive affirmations she so desperately craved. A soft moan escaped her as she finally gave in and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm fine. I'm not the one in the hospital. I shouldn't be e selfish. You had a difficult day. How are you doing?" The delicate digits went to hold his hand.

PATRICK: Patrick instantly saw the forced smile that Diana presented. He felt bad, because he hadn't meant to make her feel uncomfortable or anything like that - especially not since she was spending the next 12 hours with him. But, he also couldn't go 12 hours without telling her that the girl that he'd been friends with for a couple of years, and whom he'd tried to bed unsuccessfully was also on the island, and oh yeah, happened to be her sister - because 12 hours with that information stuck in his head without anywhere to go would make him go absolutely insane. 

"You haven't had- what?!" He was shocked to hear that. How could someone go without pasta for that long? That was absolutely unbelievable. She'd told him about her previous partner and how they controlled her eating habits, which was insane to Patrick. How could anyone abuse someone like that? It made him furious. "Well, we've got a lot of catching up to do then, because seven years without pasta should be a crime. I say we make it a weekly thing. Hell, maybe even twice a week, if you're up for it." 

He took a sip of his wine, the tart taste hitting his tongue. He was appreciative of her coming over with wine and cheese, especially after the day that he'd had. She hadn't needed to, but it was nice. "Hey, no, you're allowed to not be okay," Patrick said, feeling her head on his shoulder. "It's terrible, what happened to Skye. And you're allowed to feel sad or angry about it," Patrick reminded her, before placing his arm around her shoulder to rub her arm. "I'm...alright, no need to worry about me. I just wish there were some news about your sister, y'know? Like, who did it? Who could do such a thing?"

DIANA: Diana was too soft. Of course, she couldn't help but understand. Thea was phenomenal; at the end of the day, Diana wasn't. She just wished it didn't have to be shoved into her face all the time. For once, she wanted to be the one that shined. But she knew her lot in life. When it came to her family, she would always be second fiddle. No matter how hard she tried. Just other reminders of why she left. It made her fear as if she were here; she'd never shine again. 

"No, I wasn't allowed. I don't know what I'm going to do if you continue to spoil me like this. I'm not used to it." Even if she wasn't unique, he still treated her wonderfully. And perhaps for a moment, she could pretend and think she was. "Really? You wouldn't mind seeing me twice a week????" Diana tucked a stray strand of auburn hair behind her ear as she looked the other way. "I’d like that…I’d like that a lot.” This was one of those moments she could pretend. Because of that, the smile on her face could not be more genuine. “Thank you, Patty.”

“I’m scared for Skye…But I don’t want to burden anyone with my emotions. And sometimes people treat me like I’m in the way, or dumb, or less than and exclude. And it gets to me…I just want to help. I know I’m naïve and too trusting…But it doesn’t mean I can’t help, or that my opinion isn’t worth even hearing.” She let out a soft sigh as she snuggled into him. She did find his presence calming. “Of course, I am going to worry about you. We’re friends…Friends care about each other. It isn’t a one-way street. I know I’m nothing special….I know I’m not as useful as Thea. But I want to help you.”

PATRICK: Diana was so sweet, she didn't deserve any of this. Skylar being in the hospital, the abuse that she'd experienced, the low self-esteem; she deserved to know how wonderful she was, how comfortable she'd made Patrick feel when he first arrived. He was determined to show her how appreciative he was of her. 

"Don't go combusting on me, because that's the last thing that I want. Hell, it's not even on the list of things I want, Di. I mean, I know that pasta's great, and if it's cooked right, then it's definitely worth dying over, but I don't want you to do that. I kinda want to keep you in my life," Patrick rambled as he grinned. Furrowing his eyebrows, he was confused at her question. "Of course not? If I did, I wouldn't have suggested it," He told her, a soft smirk lingering on his lips.

Patrick nodded, listening as the Submissive girl let out how she felt. There was no way in hell that this wasn't going to have some sort of effect on her; Thea had already let in how sensitive she was, and he'd somewhat already gathered that from the interactions they had at the birthday party. "Your feelings are completely valid though. If anyone thinks your feelings are a burden, then that's their problem, not yours. Don't ever repress your feelings, just because of someone else, okay?" Patrick said, sighing softly. She didn't need to worry about how other people felt, about her feelings - they were completely irrelevant. "Hey, stop comparing yourself to Thea, please? You're two very different people. And I mean that in the best way possible."

DIANA: Slowly the submissive’s negative thoughts began to melt away. That the fears Diana built up in her head weren’t as bad as the actual reality; yes, she could be entirely happy with their relationship being just like this. For the first time in a long time, Diana felt at peace. The slender digits of her fingers interlocked with his, as she held his hand softly. It was evident as time passed by, she grew more and more comfortable once again. 

“Okay! I promise no combustion. But I am going to have to rent some extra time in the local dance studio to start working off the weight. Until my studio gets built anyway.” A happy giggle escaped her and smiled up at him with adoration. “What kind of pasta? Oh, no-no, don’t tell me! I want it to be a surprise.” 

When he confirmed his desire to see her multiple times a week, she did feel as if she could combust. Someone that wasn’t Kurt or Riley wanted to spend time with her regularly. “I’ve never met anyone like you before…Thank you for everything, Patty. I’m sorry about being weird….It was just a lot of information to process…But I think all friendships have their bumps in the road….And they become stronger because of it. So, that means all that happened today was we grew stronger.” She gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

“Like today, I got edged out of a family conversation….About Gavin Sawyer. The Dominant that was supposed to be looking after Skye. Kurt is a bit smitten with him. It’s causing turmoil in our family. However, it seems as if I’m n+ot invited to the conversation about how we should deal with it.” She sighed softly, thinking about what Thea said in the family chat. ‘No, we’ll deal with it ourselves.’ Making Diana feel worthless to her own family. “It just pardons my language, sucks.” A small pout formed on her face at the thought. 

A pout which did not last for long, when Patrick said she couldn’t compare herself to Thea. How the two of them were different in the best possible ways.  Eyes sparkled up at him, and she couldn’t help a wide grin. “No one’s ever put it that way before. And if Patty says so, it must be true so…” Nervously she bit her bottom lip. “I trust you….” Because that’s who Diana was, trusting. If Thea approved of him, he had to be a decent person. She indeed had nothing to fear. It was time to push those silly thoughts that haunted her since their parents got married out of her head. “I Diana Hummel am good enough.”

PATRICK: "Maybe I can come and watch you, some time?" Patrick said, raising his eyebrows at the suggestion. It was obvious how much Diana enjoyed dancing, and if she felt comfortable with it, Patrick would love to see her talent. He chuckled at her excitement, feeling kind of proud of himself for making her look forward to something as simple as pasta. 

Shaking his head, Patrick instantly opened his mouth to speak. "No, no, don't thank me and don't apologize, please? I wasn't sure if I should've told you, because of everything that's happened, but you also deserved to know. Especially since I've put you under orders here with me, for the next 12 hours. I'd just rather be honest with you about things, y'know? I'm not here to play you around." He smiled, squeezing her hand back. He didn't want her to feel bad about anything, she'd had a right to not feel completely comfortable, after he'd told her everything. 

His eyebrows furrowed. He wasn't really understanding the whole family feud thing. To him, the biggest problem that him and his family had was usually the discussion about who had to clean up after dinner, and now that Patrick was an adult, he was seen more as a guest in the house than the teenage son who'd make up some terrible excuse to get out of doing his chores. "That does sound sucky. Have you tried sitting them down about it, and just...tell them how you feel?" He was so bad at trying to come up with solutions, especially when he had no experience in the department, but he wanted to try anyway. 

Smiling proudly at her, Patrick snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "That's right!" He exclaimed and set his glass of wine down before proceeding to jump up to stand on the couch. "You, Diana Hummel, are good enough!" He shouted and looked down at her with a smile. "You are more than good enough!"

DIANA: “I would love for you to come to watch me dance. Perhaps Monday or Tuesday? If you have a style preference, I’d be happy to adapt. Though I must admit, contemporary freestyle is not my strong suit. I do better with structure.” For a moment, she paused, “I hope I can see your art soon. My offer to model for you still stands. You know painting ballerinas is a classic…” she said with a small smile, “Primarily because we’re tiny and can bend in all sorts of ways.” “Thank you for being honest with me…” Diana wanted to reach out to Thea about this complicated mess. Now that her internal demons were at bay. Now didn’t seem like the right time to bring up boy drama. Not while Skye laid beaten and bloodied in the hospital. “I know you aren’t going to play around with me. As I said before, I trust you, Patrick.” Eyes cast downward at her collar, slightly nervous. “Even after everything, I feel safe with you.” Diana’s loyalty was generally pure and rarely wavered. Once she let someone in, she believed they only had the best intentions for her. 

“Everyone in my family has powerful personalities….Except for me. Various beliefs and ideals that sometimes clash. But at the end of the day, we all love one another very much. Even if sometimes I have the habit of forgetting, I belong….” A soft sigh escaped her, “Every time I speak up I fear I'm a nuance. I’ve been trying to be more vocal with my feelings. Not keep them bottled up all the time. But I’m scared of disappointing them….” 

Chestnut hues expand at the sudden display of theatrics. She can’t help but giggle and clap her hands together. “Oh, my goodness! Patty! You are wild! Widely! Wilder! Wild!” she squealed with excitement. She wished she had the energy and the prowess to jump on furniture without care. “I’m more than enough!” she reiterated with a big smile.

PATRICK: Nodding, Patrick smiled at the suggestion. He liked the idea of seeing her dance and do the thing that she loved; he wondered if she'd look different, especially since she felt more confident dancing, than doing anything else. "Monday or Tuesday are both fine for me, whatever works for you, Di," He gave her hand a squeeze. He pretended to think for a bit, before answering. "Hmm...I think you should surprise me. Do your favorite dance, yeah?" That meant there was no pressure on her, that she got to do exactly what she wanted to. "I'm not sure where I'd go to get art supplies," He told her. "If I had any, I'd sketch you anytime." 

"Now you promise me you're not going to play me around," Patrick said, mostly teasing her. It was a two-way street for Patrick, but he also figured she wouldn't do something like that. It didn't really seem to be her style. "I'm happy to hear you say that, you know? It's not just me who makes you feel that way though, right? You mentioned, um...Mr Crawford, earlier. He makes you feel safe as well." 

"That's family for you though. My dad and I always argue over who's better, Madison Bumgarner or Zack Greinke. He says Madison Bumgarner, but he needs to realize that the Dodgers are going to be more successful if they give the younger players a chance, but we always agree that the Dodgers is the best team," Patrick rambled on, missing thee point about family and instead being caught up in baseball. He cleared his throat as he figured he needed to get back on track. "Well, I can safely say that you're not a nuisance. And I'm proud of you for being able to talk about your feelings." 

Patrick couldn't help but chuckle as he saw her reaction to him. Was this how Oprah felt when she gave out all of those cars? "Oh, Di...this isn't even wild," He grinned and sat back down, placing his hand on her knee and squeezing it softly. "You're perfect, my darling."

DIANA: “I could use some time to dance.” After how useless she felt with the whole Skye situation. Thea seemed to have everything handled. Skye didn’t seem to feel comfortable with Diana seeing her in such a state. Again she felt like she was getting in the way. Dancing is what always made her feel so free, feel her most self. “Okay, I will do my favorite dance.” For a moment, she paused then smiled, “I think I know where I have some pocket money. I’ll picket them up for you, and when we meet up again, you can have some. Maybe just some paper and some sketching pencils and erasers…Nothing fancy, but we both need to do what we’re passionate about. I think it will help us both. Me with my confidence. You with your adjusting.” 

When Patrick inquired if she would play with him, she looked up at hi with big doe eyes at him. Apparent confusion played upon her face. “I don’t even think I know how to play someone. I am quite genuine in how I feel.” Head cocked to the side, growing even more confused as the conversation continued. “Yes, I do feel safe with Mr. Crawford. I feel safe with several people. You just make me feel as if maybe I’m not useless as well.”

When Patrick talked about his family, Diana smiled. He seemed so soft; genuine. It made her heart feel all warm and fuzzy. “My insecurities generally make me want to run. Honestly, I did run away from my family six years ago. They all seemed so happy; I felt like I got in the way of that happiness. So, I joined a traveling dance company and never looked back. Coming here and being, not being able to run away…Is forcing me to face my demons. “ She smiled slightly, as he said she wasn’t a nuisance. 

“Thanks. Just hearing it makes me feel more comfortable. I know it’s silly, but it helps.” Diana felt butterflies in her stomach as Patrick placed his hand on her knee. Said that magic words that the Prima Ballerina always died to her. “…..Patrick….”  Arms launched around his neck as she hugged him tightly. Face nuzzled into the side of his head.

PATRICK: “Are you going to keep it a secret from me, what your favorite dance is? Or do I get to know before I come and see you?” Patrick asked her, genuinely quite interested in what she did. At her next comment, his eyes widened, and he instantly shook his head. “No, no, don’t you do that, please? That’s your money, to be spent on you. You ain’t gotta worry ‘bout me, okay? I’ll figure out something, I’m fairly creative in that sense. I once used a comb and a cookie cutter, because I couldn’t find any brushes to paint with,” He leaned over and nudged her shoulder with his before continuing. “I’ll be fine, okay?” 

Patrick felt good, knowing that there were definitely people around Diana who weren’t out to hurt her, or take advantage of her. Whatever relationship she had been in before had clearly been toxic and it was obvious that it had left its marks on the girl. As her friend, he felt very protective over her; he usually did over all of his friends. But knowing that Diana was more naive and shy than his other friends, the protectiveness was turned up a notch. He instantly shook his head. “If anyone makes you feel useless, you just do this,” Patrick gently took her arms and stretched them out. He wrapped his hands around her fingers to move them in so her hands were balled up into fists. He then pushed one arm gently back, and the other towards him as he made her mimic throwing a punch. 

“What makes you say that they seemed happy that you ran away?” There was lot to uncover here, but Patrick didn’t mind - it meant that he got to know the girl. As long as she was comfortable with answering, of course. “I guess this place might actually be good for something then,” He muttered, looking around slightly. He hated to admit it, but maybe there were a few perks to it.

It wasn’t the first time that Diana had launched herself at him, to hug him. It hadn’t taken her long to do so at the birthday party, after he’d introduced himself to her, and it hadn’t taken long now. He arms moved instinctively behind her back, rubbing it soothingly as he chuckled. “What? It’s the truth. You are who you are, and that’s pretty perfect,” He said, pulling away from thee hug. “No one can take that away from you.”