A series of 'Pleasant' events.
Valkyrie's day off.
When Skulduggery had said "Valkyrie, you get a day off." She didn't know how to respond. These were rare blessings but most the time she didn't know how to spend that treat.
So, today she had planned a day of rest in front of the television with a movie and snacks. Before she met Skulduggery, when she had leisure time she wouldn't be spending it on the sofa, she would have gone out, playing with her friends at the harbour or adventuring in some wood. But as she had been busy already she earned a break and anytime she could spare was a pleasure. But, as she sat on the sofa, with a bowl of popcorn waiting for her film to start she heard a knock at the door. Her family were out at work, so it couldn't have been them but school was off for insert day. She guessed it was one of her friends, wanting to go out or something. But as she walked to the hallway, she saw the familiar outline of a person in the frosted door glass. It was tall, very skinny and wore a wide brim hat. Skulduggery Pleasant.
She opened the door, her eyes narrowed.
"What are you doing here?"
Skulduggery stood on the welcome mat, twiddling his thumbs. This amused Valkyrie. He looked like a nervous school boy being asked a question from a teacher.
"I was wandering, maybe I could join you on our day off?"
Valkyrie's mouth dropped.
"Just when I have an opportunity to be away from you, you want to spend our day together?"
Skulduggery was silent for a while. "Yes, I think that is what I'm applying."
Valkyrie stood still, holding the door, contemplating whether to agree, but she just shrugged. "OK, very well. Do you like horror movies?"
Skulduggery looked clearly excited. "Ever since I watched that silent vampire film a hundred years ago, I enjoyed that."
She smiled. "Even though you fight vampires in real life?"
He stepped over the threshold into the hallway. It had been his first time in her house or the bottom half. He stared at a picture hanging on the wall.
"Watching a film of vampires is far more safer than fighting them."
"Always the easy option." Valkyrie mused.
They stood awkwardly in the hall for awhile and Valkyrie decided to lead him to the living room. She had drawn the curtains and had no lights on in order to make a dark, and scary atmosphere.
Skulduggery stepped in, hands in pockets. "Your mother sure has a taste of colour." he noticed the red papered walls.
Valkyrie nodded absently, placing herself on the sofa and made room for Skulduggery at her side.
She looked at the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table facing her. She asked unsure, "Would you like some-"
"No thank you, Val. But I'm afraid I have no clue what they are. Plus, I don't eat, you know that."
Valkyrie shrugged. "I know. It's like a ritual, when you watch a film you have to have popcorn."
"Mmm, popcorn." He popped the word 'pop' in his mouth. "Interesting."
She smiled, remembering how old fashioned Skulduggery was. She sometimes forgotten he was a 400 year old skeleton sorcerer.
She nestled comfortably as the movie began. Slowly, credits appeared on the black screen and atmospheric music began.
"What are we watching by the way?" Skulduggery asked.
"Shh!" Valkyrie hissed, as the first camera shot appeared.
Skulduggery folded his arms, trying his best to stare at the screen. "What's it about?"
She nudged his bony arm. "Just watch and you'll soon see!"
Skulduggery focused as he saw a dark, quiet street on the television. A shot of a castle looking down at the village on a hill top.
He sighed. How typical.
Valkyrie rolled her eyes. "If you don't want to watch it, go away!" She whispered, keeping her eyes on the screen, a cushion placed over her stomach and her knees tucked up.
As a moment passed, and a scary moment was building up, as a bunch of wandering teenagers walked around the spooky castle, Skulduggery had a plan. Just when a dull blonde was opening a door, Skulduggery found the perfect moment to jumped up suddenly, attempting to scare Valkyrie at her side.
As the woman on the film screamed as a monster leapt out at her, Valkyrie however sat there, staring at the screen. She hadn't even blinked.
"Pathetic, Skulduggery."
"I can't even believe that a living skeleton won't even frightening when you're watching a scary movie!"
"That's because," She began, now facing him as the film was properly beginning, "you are not frightening."
"I can be scaring when I want to be." Skulduggery warned.
"It might work on someone like Scapegrace but not me."
Valkyrie turned back to the film. Skulduggery watched 2 minutes until he finally concluded. "This films boring, it's far too long!"
Valkyrie frowned, "Too long!?" She exclaimed, "It's only just started!"
"The last one I watched was only 5 minutes and 46 seconds long."
Valkyrie turned to Skulduggery incredulously. "You mean the last time you've watched a film was when they first started, silent, black and white movies?"
He nodded.
"100 years have passed, technologies gone a long way since then you know."
"I spend my time fighting criminals! How do I know?" Skulduggery defended himself.
Valkyrie rolled her eyes and hit him with a cushion playfully.
She tried to concentrate back on the movie, but Skulduggery huffed once more.
"That's it, we're going!" She jumped up from the sofa.
She placed the disc out of the DVD player and back in it's case. Skulduggery was standing already, kneeling against the door frame.
"Wanna fight some real monsters?" he sparked a small flame in his gloved hand.
She nodded, "If it would stop you fussing over how bored you are." She climbed up the staircase, "Once I get dressed." she bellowed from the landing.
When she was back down in her black, fighting clothes, she saw Skulduggery in the Bentley already.
"So much for the day off," she muttered.