Love in the Shadows

Love-vice from the beauty queen

"I can't believe you are actually using mortal technology in order to solve a crime," China Sorrows said smirking a little. They were solving the murder of a dwarf (not a literal Dwarf according to Skulduggery but simply a complication in genetics) that was an elementalist who was a master of water. Skulduggery simply said, "I am making use of my resources. Besides, it's a brilliant use of technology. Don't you agree, Valkyrie?"

Valkyrie wasn't listening. She simply went off into space as she had done of late. She was warmly welcomed from her absence and passed it off as a horrible fever/cold. Magical beings as herself were not usually accustomed to those 'bugs' but at least they didn't probe for more because Skulduggery would waltz into the conversation with a double dose of irritating in order to wave off their attention from her. She snapped back to reality. "Sorry what?" She asked sounding nonchalant, or at least tried to. "Don't you agree that the chromatography device we are using to solve the crime is wonderful?" Valkyrie simply stated at him with a quirk of an eyebrow.
"Look Valkyrie, why don't you explain to me what you're doing with blood samples to solve a crime without making it sound like its the next celebrity gossip?" The shade was thrown at Skulduggery. "Basically we are making the suspects puke and we are going to compare their puke to the dwarf's puke and we are going to separate out the components using chromatography. And the suspect that has the same substances as the dwarf's, or at least close to the dwarf's is the killer." Valkyrie said.

"Why their puke?"

"Because," Skulduggery interjected. "We observed the victim's digestive tract and understood that digestion was taking place and which we concluded that he must have eaten before he was murdered. And he was said to have made a reservation at a particular place hours before. And a reservation for two nonetheless which leads us to believe they had both consumed the same food."
China stared at them. She looked at Valkyrie and she just shrugged. It wasn't her idea after all. She just let Skul do whatever he wanted. She would usually correct him but she wasn't in the right headspace to give him a better idea.
"Skulduggery, that's the worst idea of yet. Chromatography works only with ink. Ink. Please go to Ghastly and get your head straight while Val and I have a chat." China said as she glanced at Valkyrie. "Why must Valkyrie stay with you?" Skulduggery asked. "Because apparently she doesn't know how to talk you out of nonsense and I will teach her to."

Skulduggery left the room while muttering something that sounding like: don't question my master mind, Sorrows.
China led Valkyrie into her chambers and had her sit on the settee. China told her to excuse her a moment and returned with a cup of strawberry cream green tea. "I know it's not usually of my standards but it is delightful," she informed her. Valkyrie decided to take her word for it and took a swig. China warned it at precisely the temperature where the drink was neither cold not hot. It was on the slightly warmer side of warm and not on the colder side of warm. It was heavenly. And the warmth and kind gesture sent ASMR tingles down her spine.

"You're right as always China. It is delicious. "
China smiled. "I know," she said waving off the compliment. "But," she continued "I am not here about the tea. I want to know what's up with you lately. I sense something off about you and I suspect it has to do with love. Am I close to the mark?"

Valkyrie hesitated and China knew she was precisely on the mark.
"Sorta. Kinda. Maybe." Valkyrie mumbled.
China took a seat next to her on the settee. "You don't have to give me all the details but what exactly worries you about this." China hesitated on this. Because she didn't know what this or that was.

Valkyrie sighed. "It's someone I have a weird thing going on with. He hurt me. Physically. Out of obsessive jealously. But he made up for it through a sweet gesture which I never in my wildest dreams thought he was capable of. It's so confusing and strange. I don't know if it is desire or love that I'm feeling for him. Not THAT sort of desire, mind you, but maybe the desire to have more than just stolen and secret kisses you know?" Valkyrie felt a huge weight being lifted off her chest by simply confiding in China despite keeping the details vague. 'Maybe the saying of not bottling up your feelings might have a ring of truth.'

China was silent, trying to absorb everything in which worried Valkyrie. "What is it?" She asked. "It's okay I'm not judging you. But all I can say is be careful. An abusive relationship is dangerous. You need to be cautious. It can goddamn come close to destroying your frame of mind. If anything serious happens, tell Ghastly or Skulduggery because they can help you out. The masculine way." China emphasized masculine with a devilish smirk.

She got up gracefully from the settee. "Well I guess I can't keep you here forever. It's best I send you off on your way." Valkyrie stood up and gave China a hug which China returned. "Thank you. I'll take your advice very seriously. Talking to you has honestly really helped me. Thanks China." China smiled simply and bowed her head in graciousness. Valkyrie left the room and almost immediately China sat on the settee and considered Valkyrie's situation gravely. She had grown fond of her over the years and now she felt concerned about her situation. She shoved it in the recesses of her mind where she wouldn't repress it, but where it would linger just enough to remind her of her concern. And with that, China got up and prepared herself for bed.

{Author's note:
Hey guys! It's been a long time coming but finally I published this. I'm so hesitant about the vomit chromatography thing but well whatever. And I would like to mention the strawberry cream green tea is actually legit because my mom bought some from Coffee Bean and I have not tried it yet. But I didn't tell she that I have second thoughts about it because I have tried Pavlova tea and I really didn't like it. But I will update you guys on the tea next chapter x). And also I referenced the song Desire by years & years so there's that. So peace out and have a great day guys!
-Vodka_Martini}