Fate Online: Shadow

Michael and Amanda went for an early lunch in a popular restaurant in the heart of the city, and then an hour after that, both of them made their way towards another popular location, an amusement park at the eastern edge part of the city, near the mountains.

"You're seriously thinking of bringing me into an amusement park?" Amanda said, and her face was filled with shock as she can't believe what she's hearing right now.

"Well, yeah!" Michael said to her as he gave her a glance, and deep inside him, he knows she's gonna like it.

"You want to go to an amusement park? An amusement park?"

"Yep! Wouldn't you? Our lives have always been on the run from our enemies, and now we finally got rid of almost all of them. Shouldn't we at least have a little brightness into our lives?"

Michael suddenly had a melancholy look on his face when he remembered a very distinctive memory from the past.

'It felt like it was just yesterday'

Amanda glanced at Michael from the corner of her eyes and quickly noticed that look on his face which made her confused and wondering.

'What's with him? He would sometimes wear that look whenever he's with me. I wonder what thoughts are going through his head to have such a melancholic look?'

Then Michael noticed Amanda staring at him, he smiled and said, "What? Is there something on my face?"

Amanda quickly turned her head around, and seemingly not wanting to answer his question, she quickly changed the topic and said, "Are you really planning to go on a vacation when your parents would just return today?"

"Well, yeah. Why? You don't want to come with me? Cause you sound like you don't, and here I thought you would come" Michael answered, but he's still wearing that smile on his face like he wouldn't be bothered if Amanda comes with him or not.

"I'll come of course, but do you really want to leave when your parents are just coming back? I don't think it's appropriate to do that" Amanda said worriedly. After all, his parents might think badly about this departure for a vacation, and in the worst-case scenario, they might even think that it was her idea.

"It's gonna be fine. Are you worried that they might think badly of this, and think it was your idea?" said Michael, seemingly able to guess what Amanda was worried about.

After all, his parents and Amanda's first meeting wasn't in favorable circumstances, so he understands what she's worried about as he would certainly be worried about it too if he was in her shoes...as first impressions are very important in meeting new people, especially to the parents of your significant other.

Then they had a brief conversation between them before the two then soon arrived a few minutes later at the amusement park.

The two of them went inside after parking the car and getting the entrance ticket for both of them.

The first place then went to is the Ferris Wheel, then after that, Amanda pulled Michael towards the shooting gallery where the players need to shoot down ten ducks to get a large prize of their own liking, which Michael did flawlessly that it amazed the carny and the people around them who was also trying the game.

And resulting in Michael getting Amanda a large white Teddy Bear because of it!

"How'd he do that?" the guy that was waiting for his turn said while looking at Michael and Amanda walking away from them.

"Beats me," said the Carny beside him as he was also shocked as it's not every day that they would see people like Michael who could shoot ten out of ten.

"Dad! You can do it too, right!? It would be so cool!" The kid that was standing beside the man the next line said to his father, his eyes beaming with confidence for him.

The man looked at his son with complicated eyes, he wanted to say no to him, but he didn't have the guts to say it while looking at the pair of eyes looking at him.

"You're f*ck" the carny whispered to the guy as he handed him the toy rifle.

"I know, right?" the customer was almost crying in his reply while still wearing a bitter smile, and the crowd around them also knows that the man wouldn't be able to pull it off even if he is a soldier.

After all, a toy gun and a real gun are vastly different.

"Michael, come on! It's gonna be fun!" Amanda said while laughing as she grabbed hold of Michael's hand as she tried to pull him towards a particular attraction in the park.

A haunted house!

Under the shade of a tree, two of them could be seen arguing about it.

"This...babe, can we not go?" Michael said trying to persuade her as he really doesn't want to go inside the haunted house.

"Don't be a sissy now. It's just a haunted house, don't tell me...that you're actually afraid?" Amanda said, her face is practically laughing at him as she didn't expect this side of him.

Like a cat that got his tail stepped on, Michael snapped his head towards her and said with a courageous tone, "What!? No freaking way babe, I'm just afraid that I might punch them if they jump at us"

Amanda scoffed at his excuse, "Yeah, right. You scaredy-cat"

Michael suddenly snorted with a laugh and quickly felt embarrassed when he noticed the people around them looking at him with a jeering smile on their faces, people...who could hear the stupid conversation that's taking place.

"Hmmp! Me? Scared? No way!"

Then Michael started walking towards the haunted house with courageous steps, but anyone could see his legs shivering.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go!" said Michael as he turned around when he noticed that Amanda is not beside him and was still standing under the tree looking at him with a playful smile.

So both of them entered the attraction, and soon after, piercing screams of someone getting scared rang out of the place through the speakers, followed by a groan and the sound of a woman scolding someone.

"Oh my god! Why did you punch him!?"

"I told you about this before, and the guy suddenly jumped at us! I can't help it!"

"Is he dead?"

"Nah, he's just unconscious. He'll wake up eventually, so come on, let's continue. I want to get out of here quick!"

And the people outside the attraction wore dumbfounded looks on their faces as they looked at each other while hearing...the stupid conversation that's taking place inside...followed by some workers entering the attraction in panicky steps.

"Holy sh*t, did that guy really punched one of the workers? That's pretty s*ck" said someone among the people waiting for their turn.

"I think he did and wasn't that the guy who entered before us, the scaredy-cat who didn't want to enter earlier? Damn, so he wasn't messing around when he said he'd punch them if they jump at him" another customer said with a laugh, especially when looking at the workers who were flustered because of the unexpected event.