The last time Valkyrie had this much uninterrupted fun in one day, she was... actually, she couldn't remember when it was. Long before she met Skulduggery, though. And while she wouldn't give up her current life for anything, she kind of missed just days at the carnival with her parents. Life was so much simpler when your only choices were between the bumper cars and the Ferris wheel, and the only time someone betrayed you was when they stole your hot dog or your chips. Which Skulduggery did. Multiple times. Valkyrie's anger petered out when she remembered he'd never had a hot dog before, and she ended up buying two more for him out of some weird misplaced guilt.
The illusion meant he wouldn't have to worry about putting weight on or anything, either. Lucky.
They did garner a lot of stares as they moved through the carnival, but Valkyrie was pretty much used to those. Most of the people in the group were, for some reason or another. Barney wasn't, and he spent a good portion of the day trying to return as many of those stares as he could with a reassuring smile.
Ghastly advised him to give that up about halfway through the afternoon. It wasn't stopping the stares, and it certainly wasn't giving Barney any peace.
Valkyrie felt good and tired by afternoon's end. Properly, honestly good and tired, not just exhausted. Not just drained. Not just despairing about things ever going right. She hadn't felt like this at the end of a day in ages. Everyone was chatting amicably as they approached the parking lot, and Valkyrie knew exactly what she wanted to do with this newfound feeling.
"If it's the same person I'm thinking of," Skulduggery answered Solomon, "I'll drive you. He has my sunglasses. I'd like those back."
"I forgot about those," said Ghastly, halfway laughing at the memory. "You should probably also let Paddy know Gabe isn't close to dying anymore."
"You mean someone else hasn't taken care of that already?" Skulduggery tsked and shook his head. "Who is in charge of the country these days? Fletcher, would you mind Teleporting us back to the Bentley, please?"
"And take me home, too?" Valkyrie asked. Then, because Skulduggery tilted his head towards her with a puzzled expression on his face, she clarified quickly: "I'm tired. Good tired, but tired. I want to go home, spend the evening with my parents, and tell them I've been on a date. In fact, Fletcher, you're coming home with me."
"I am?" If he didn't look so surprisingly handsome in the dwindling sunlight, Valkyrie might have had to scold him for looking so terrified. "Seriously?"
"Seriously. They've already met you. They probably knew we'd date before we did. Where's the harm?"
"Where's the harm!?" Fletcher stared at her. "Who are you, and what have you done with Valkyrie?"
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The illusion meant he wouldn't have to worry about putting weight on or anything, either. Lucky.
They did garner a lot of stares as they moved through the carnival, but Valkyrie was pretty much used to those. Most of the people in the group were, for some reason or another. Barney wasn't, and he spent a good portion of the day trying to return as many of those stares as he could with a reassuring smile.
Ghastly advised him to give that up about halfway through the afternoon. It wasn't stopping the stares, and it certainly wasn't giving Barney any peace.
Valkyrie felt good and tired by afternoon's end. Properly, honestly good and tired, not just exhausted. Not just drained. Not just despairing about things ever going right. She hadn't felt like this at the end of a day in ages. Everyone was chatting amicably as they approached the parking lot, and Valkyrie knew exactly what she wanted to do with this newfound feeling.
"If it's the same person I'm thinking of," Skulduggery answered Solomon, "I'll drive you. He has my sunglasses. I'd like those back."
"I forgot about those," said Ghastly, halfway laughing at the memory. "You should probably also let Paddy know Gabe isn't close to dying anymore."
"You mean someone else hasn't taken care of that already?" Skulduggery tsked and shook his head. "Who is in charge of the country these days? Fletcher, would you mind Teleporting us back to the Bentley, please?"
"And take me home, too?" Valkyrie asked. Then, because Skulduggery tilted his head towards her with a puzzled expression on his face, she clarified quickly: "I'm tired. Good tired, but tired. I want to go home, spend the evening with my parents, and tell them I've been on a date. In fact, Fletcher, you're coming home with me."
"I am?" If he didn't look so surprisingly handsome in the dwindling sunlight, Valkyrie might have had to scold him for looking so terrified. "Seriously?"
"Seriously. They've already met you. They probably knew we'd date before we did. Where's the harm?"
"Where's the harm!?" Fletcher stared at her. "Who are you, and what have you done with Valkyrie?"