Traffic [Valduggery, Skulduggery Pleasant Fanfiction]

Puddles

An actual continuation from chapter twelve.

It was raining.

Valkyrie reflected on this fact, sprawled in a lounge chair, eating the pizza room service had brought. Just two days ago, Valkyrie had sunbathed on the beach. Now, the rain had probably washed away all the sand.

"I'm bored."

Skulduggery didn't answer. He adjusted his hat in the mirror, pulled it low, pushed it higher on his skull, down again. He was bored, too.

"Let's go. I just figured something out."

Valkyrie frowned. "No, you didn't. You just want me to get all wet while you deflect all the water."

"Nonsense. I did figure something out. It's all very clever." He walked over to the hotel door, turned and waited for her.

"You didn't figure something out," Valkyrie grumbled. She stood and brushed off the crumbs. "I'm not even going to get dressed, because we're probably just going to walk around in the rain for nothing."

"You're going to walk around in your bathing suit?"

Valkyrie almost said yes, just to spite him, but in the end, she pulled on her black clothes. She glared at him the entire time.

"Let me wear your hat."

Skulduggery pulled up his scarf, head down to avoid suspicion from trapped tourists. "No."

"Yes, let me wear it."

"You're really annoying."

"I'm sunburned and you're making me walk around in the rain. I'm a little grumpy. Oh, that lady right there is giving you a weird look. Maybe she's a siren. Does she look hot?"

"The one who's balding?"

"Maybe you're into that. Not my place to judge."

They exited the grand lobby, leaving marble and cherry wood for concrete. Valkyrie scowled at the rain, then glanced over to Skulduggery.

"You could keep the water off of both of us."

"You were the one who was complaining that I was going to stay dry. Now, we're both wet."

"But we both could be dry."

Skulduggery laughed. "Where's the fun in that?"

They walked away from the hotel. All the statues and vast parking lots and pools stopped at the gates. Beyond that, a tourist attraction. Stands and small streets made of ancient cobblestone, houses made of whitewashed wood. When there was sunlight, the abandoned tents grew tables that offered shells and wood carvings.

Now, just a few locals scattered about underneath doorframes. The locals hardly looked at the two of them. Just another two tourists.

"I like it better like this," Valkyrie murmured.

Skulduggery stopped at a junction between streets. He pointed.

"You go that way. I'll go this way."

Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "It's a street. How are we supposed to find a siren—a sexy fish lady—in the middle of a street?"

"Sneak up on her," Skulduggery suggested, then moved off down his street.

Valkyrie waited, hoped that maybe Skulduggery would return, but in the end, she trudged off down the street. Even though it was raining, it was humid and hot. Valkyrie's clothes stuck to her, and she debated removing her jacket versus getting drenched.