For the next twenty minutes, Olivia helped out with the flower arranging.

She brought 'those red ones over there with the bell shape' over to Gerald and swapped them with the 'purple-and-blue ones that look like they're smiling at you', shuffled bouquets, brought scissors and shiny wrapping plastic and helped an elderly couple write on a card when their hands shook too much.

The biggest surprise was when a familiar face walked through the door, even if he didn't recognise her out of transformation. It gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling when she saw what he'd written on the card attached to the single rose.

Dear Oscar,

I very much enjoyed our date last night. Would you allow me the honour of organising our next one?

Love, Brian.

Olivia continued to hum to herself as she went about her work, quickly getting the hang of exactly what Gerald was talking about in his not-so-certain terms. The shop wasn't overly complicated, which she supposed was a necessity for it to stay alive with Gerald at the head.

Then, as she was shuffling a few vases around in the front window, a group of people her own age walked in through the doors and her good mood crashed into the pavement.

She didn't recognise them, but that didn't matter. Their hair was wet, they had towels wrapped around their swimmers, and they were talking about the Bloom.

"Did you see what Neo did? The backwards flip around the red patch?"

"Okay but seriously, Emmeline's was just as good!"

"Guys, stop! C'mon, they were both great."

"I could swear the colours this year were even brighter than last year, or do you think it's just because we got a better spot further upstream than last time?"

Olivia's breath hitched. Their excitement made the shop front feel suffocating, made Naomi's insults ring inside her head. She knew she shouldn't have let the words in, but she couldn't keep them out. They barged in on their own accord and started bashing around inside Olivia's skull with every other insecurity it had to offer.

Everything hit her all at once. Her head felt light, their voices became blurry and far away.

Olivia pushed her way out the front door of the shop and ducked into the alley around the side, just barely managing to sit down against the wall before she blacked out.

When she woke up, there was someone standing off to her left, blocking the only way out of the alley.

Her thoughts still groggy, Olivia managed to piece herself back together and glance up. The stranger standing over her wore baggy, dark red pants, a grey, knee-length coat and about a million studded belts over a tight fitting shirt. His hood was down, leaving his crimson hair out in its full glory.

Olivia's stomach clenched into knots when she realised that this wasn't a stranger.

"Wasn't sure if I was going to have to slap you to wake you up or what," said Adande, leaning against the same wall she sat against. "Does that happen a lot? Seems rather inconvenient."

Olivia moved her foot, feeling the action that would twist her back onto her feet in her muscles, but the blackout had sapped her strength. It was going to be at least another minute before she'd have the strength to stand up without wobbling, let alone fight off someone who looked as strong as he did.

"Yeah, I imagine that Stefan's probably warned you about me by now," said Adande. "But you don't have to worry about me yet. I'd tell you not to trust me regardless, but I think you're smart enough to figure that one out, eh?"

Olivia really wasn't comfortable with the way Adande loomed over her, blocking off her only escape. "What do you want?"

"Well I wasn't here for you," said Adande. "I'm actually looking for something else that's apparently around here. I just happened to see you dash out of that store and collapse over here, so I thought I'd make sure you're okay. Can I help you up?"

Adande held out his hand. After a few wary seconds, Olivia accepted it.

She hated how he had to steady her on her own damn feet. "Thanks, I guess."

"I wouldn't thank me either," said Adande, stepping back. "Hey, while I've got you trapped in this little alley all by yourself, I have a question for you."

"And what question is that?" said Olivia.

"Given recent circumstances I've been exposed to, I'm curious," said Adande. "If you could give up Ella to ensure your own safety, would you do it?"

Olivia's blood felt cold. "No. Never."

Adande nodded like he'd expected nothing less. "I told the others as much. Dunno if they'll listen to me, let alone believe me, but hey. At least I tried, right?"

He stuck his hands deep in his pockets and started walking away with a whistle.

Olivia ran after him and slapped him on the shoulder.

Adande turned around with an amused expression."Yes?"

"Why are you asking about Ella?" said Olivia. "What are you going to do to her?"

"I'm not going to do anything," said Adande. "I can't really tell you other details. They don't tell me anything either. I just pick up details from my sisters and their incessant chatter." He tilted his head like he was listening. "Something about festival night and Ella. No idea what."

"You have to tell me," said Olivia, grabbing Adande by the shoulder as he went to walk away once more. "You know more than you're letting on."

"You're rather pushy for a girl who just blacked out, aren't you?" said Adande. "For some strange reason, I like you, and I'd tell you to stay away from me and Ella for your own safety but you don't seem very concerned with that, so I'll do you a favour."

Adande lifted a hand out of his pocket. He had something curled in his fingers. It looked like a green and black diamond, but what--

The next thing Olivia knew, she was on the ground and Adande was gone.

She didn't feel the usual lethargy that followed her after a blackout. She was on her feet and out on the street a few seconds later, but no matter which direction she looked, Adande was nowhere to be seen. She briefly considered transforming, but she had a feeling it'd be a repeat of last time with his disappearing act, and this time, Banshee didn't have a good reason to be hanging around.

Confused, she walked back into the florist rubbing the side of her head. Nothing hurt, which was confusing. Something should have hurt if she'd collapsed on the ground. She knew that from experience.

Gerald asked her where she'd been. Olivia made up some excuse about fresh air and asked him which flowers needed moving next. As she worked, she made a note to tell Cryo about today's little mishap, but it'd have to wait til tomorrow when she could write herself a damn note. Unless she could work out an excuse about when she'd met up with herself...

The thoughts consumed her until sunset began to take hold of the sky. Olivia had long since finished any tasks Gerald had for her and was sitting by the front window, playing around with a bouquet Gerald had given her as a gift, seeing the different ways she could arrange it. It was distracting, but it wasn't enough to stop her from staring out the windows longingly, wondering exactly where Ariel and Ericka were right now. Ariel had sent her a message checking if she was okay earlier, but aside from that, she hadn't heard from them.

Olivia sighed, feeling the heavy feeling settle on her chest as she brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.

"Long day, wasn't it?" said Jason.

Olivia glanced up and attempted a smile. "Yeah. Thanks for letting me come with you."

"You're welcome to come here anytime you wish," said Jason. "Gerald's been singing your praises like you were Skypillar itself." He hesitated for a moment. "Are you feeling okay?"

Olivia just shrugged. "As much as I wanted to be there, I don't think it would have gone well." She looked back out the window and dropped her chin onto her knees. "I just really wish I could swim, but I think it'd take a Luminary to make that happen now."

"Have you considered putting in a request to Banshee?"

"Wouldn't want to waste her time," Olivia muttered. She stood up. "Could you take me home? I'm just ready for this day to be over."

Jason picked up her bouquet of flowers. "Let's get you home, Shadowheart."

*+*+*+*

After the usual drive home, Olivia climbed out of the side car.

"Thanks for the ride, Frostsong," said Olivia, adjusting the strap of her bag up over her arm with her eyes on the ground. "And for getting me out of the Riverweed thing today. I really like the flower shop."

"You're welcome," said Jason. "I apologise if the afternoon turned into work for you."

"It was a good distraction. I'd just be moping in my room by myself otherwise." She sighed and turned, her fingers on the handle of her side door. "I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early as per usual."

"One last thing before you leave," said Jason, causing her to glance back at him. "Do you have any additional plans for tonight?"

Not unless the Serpent throws another damned Manifested at us for the sixth night in a row. "Just dinner and sleeping, why?"

"No particular reason," said Jason. "I just... wished to request that you use any spare time you have to rehearse your vocal pieces."

"Why? Do you have good intel that Naomi is about to mysteriously disappear?"

Jason cleared his throat. "Actually, I was hoping you might help me teach them to her. She seems to be struggling, and it's difficult to show her what I mean with only my violin."

Olivia raised her eyebrow. "Are you just trying to make me feel better and get revenge on Naomi for today?"

"I would never be so petty," said Jason, lifting his chin with the slightest glimmer in his gaze. "May I count on your assistance?"

"Sure, Jase," said Olivia with a small smile as she opened the door and leaned against the doorframe. "I'll practice, just for you. See you tomorrow."

"Good night, Shadowheart."

Olivia stepped inside and pulled the door shut behind her, double checking that she'd locked it when she heard the hum of Jason's Gleamer fade. She took the stairs one at a time, keeping them as quiet as she could. With any luck, she could sneak into the kitchen, grab something to eat, and retreat to her room without having to glimpse the sympathy on her parent's faces. The Riverweed Bloom was one of their busiest nights of the year, so neither of them would be out of the restaurant for hours.

Yet they were. Her mum had her oven mitts on and was placing one of the crockpots from the restaurant kitchens below down on the counter beside another two that her dad was adding the finishing touches to. The smell of it all was warm and cozy and wrapped around Olivia like a blanket as she stepped into the living area with one hand on the strap of her bag and stood there, staring at it all.

Her dad noticed her first. "Dammit, Olive. You're always so quiet. We were going to surprise you."

Olivia blinked and pulled at her bag strap. "Consider me surprised? Why aren't you in the restaurant?"

"We hired some extra staff for Bloom night," said her mum, a cloud of steam escaping the crockpot as she removed the lid. "We figured we could take an hour off without and disasters to have dinner with you."

"We also couldn't agree on which one was your favourite, so we made all three," her dad added. "Yay for leftovers!"

Olivia bit down on her lip as her cheeks heated up and a smile cracked through the day's crap.

They sat down and ate together, just the three of them, with no pressure or worry or any place to be. Olivia helped herself to seconds and thirds, and to her eternal relief, neither of them tried to apologise. They talked about the weird things the regular patrons had got up to recently. They talked about Olivia's temple work and her new role as the understudy. Some time in the middle of it, Olivia's tattoo warmed

"I bet Naomi's super happy about you being her understudy," said her mum. "Does she still do that pouty thing?"

"Combined with the hair flick," said Olivia with a smirk. "Aurelia offered me the actual role, but I turned it down unless she decided to let Jason control the music. You should hear him play his violin when he's just making it up. It's honestly one of the best things I've ever had the privilege of listening to."

"Aurelia is the High Shadowspeaker, right?" said her dad, placing his fork down on his empty plate. "Jason's mother?"

"Yup."

Her dad wiggled his eyebrows. "So, you and Jason, hey?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Don't even, dad. He's already got a girlfriend and she's really nice." She sighed and pursed her lips. "Besides, he barely even knows how a friendship is supposed to work."

"Buuuut?"

"But he's getting there," said Olivia with a small smile. "I think he's slowly starting to figure it out. I really hope we stay friends after this whole temple enslavement thing is over. He's a good guy."

"I like him," said her mum. "You should invite him over for dinner at the restaurant one night after all the temple stuff has happened. I already offered but I think I embarrassed him."

"Embarrassed Jason? How?"

Her mum laughed. "Oh, I'm not giving away his weak spots to you, missy."

Olivia stuck her tongue out. "Well if that's the way you want to be!" She leaned back in her chair with a contented sigh. "Thanks for making me dinner, guys. It was delicious, as per usual."

"We'll even make the staff clean up for us," said her mum with a conspiratorial grin. "After all, we are paying customers--we're literally paying their wages, after all."

Olivia shook her head. "Speaking of which, you should prooobably get back down there before one of them Manifests and destroys the kitchen or something."

"There's been a lot of those the last few nights," muttered her dad. "Thankfully none in our district."

Olivia grimaced. The only reason Cevinari had avoided any Manifested was because the Serpent had been trying to keep Banshee and Cryo awake for as long as possible.

Opposite side of the city? Check.

Annoying, indirect Manifested? Check.

Hallucinations just for a little overkill? Double check.

Along with Cryo's research, their only saving grace was that corrupted Manifested didn't often take intentional hostages. Instead of accidentally stumbling into the Other's power as most Manifested did, the Serpent forced the corrupted Manifested into it, which was why they turned dark and their fragments couldn't be returned to the Core by the Ascended.

Speaking of which, she needed to get as much sleep as she could before tonight's inevitable Manifested.

Before her parents could get into another conversation about Manifested and Luminaries and steer the conversation dangerously close towards an Olivia pity party, Olivia ambushed them both with a hug and excused herself from the table.

She shut out their quietened conversation behind her as she ascended the stairs to her bedroom, choosing to leave tonight on a positive note. Tomorrow wasn't going to be easy, either. Her hand hesitated on the handle to her room, her forehead pressed against the door. Everyone was going to be talking about the Riverweed Bloom, and Naomi would make sure that Olivia heard.

Olivia pushed open the door to her room, shivering at the chilly air inside. Not if Jason has her too busy singing, maybe that's why--

The thought stopped dead as she turned around and found a huge surprise waiting for her.

The surprise wasn't that Cryo was transformed.

It was more that she hadn't been expecting to find him on her balcony.

His back was to her, so she walked over to the glass door and tapped a finger against it. Cryo's head jerked around, the elegant swarm of ice that floated off his back flaring before settling down once more.

Olivia opened the door to her balcony. "Um, hello. To what do I owe this pleasure, or should I go get a pillow for you this time?"

"No pillows are necessary," said Cryo. "I'm..." He cleared his throat and straightened. "I'm here to complete a favour."

"A favour? What favour?"

"To take you swimming in the Riverweed Bloom," said Cryo softly.

Olivia went still. There was no way he'd just said-- "Did you just say...?"

"I did."

Her brain forgot how to function and she dropped her gaze to the floor. "I didn't ask--I mean, who would have--" It clicked. She blinked. "Jason."

Cryo just watched her, impassive as ever.

Olivia dragged her eyes up to meet his. "Was it Jason who asked you?"

"I believe you said it yourself, something along the lines of 'It would take a Luminary to make it happen'?"

"Look, I don't want you thinking you have to waste your time," said Olivia, holding up her hands. "You're busy. You have more important stuff to do than to babysit me while I splash around. You can consider the favour complete, and thank you for asking and coming over here, but... it's fine. I'll live without it."

A moment of silence passed between them.

Cryo seemed to be studying her, trying to figure her out. One foot stepped backwards, away from her like he was about to incline his head and turn with that frozen acceptance he wore so easily.

But then his foot moved back. It lined up with the other one and squared his shoulders in front of her.

"Olivia Shadowheart," said Cryo. "There are things we can live with... but that does not mean we always should. If... If there are pleasures and joys in life that we can find and embrace, then I believe we should do so, especially if the alternative is pretending we no longer want or care for it."

His voice sounded uncertain at first, but as the words rolled out in that seamless voice, he found his confidence, like with every word, he'd found a little more belief in... something. Not himself--but something else that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"And so, I'll ask you again," said Cryo, his voice falling into a quieter kind of assurance, one that already knew her answer. "Will you accompany me for a swim in the Riverweed Bloom?"

Again, Olivia hesitated, unsure of how to find the right words.

She hadn't wanted to swim as Banshee because it wouldn't be with anyone that cared about her as Olivia. Half the Riverweed Bloom's experience was about sharing it with others you cared about--if you couldn't do that, then it was just another swim in some pretty plants.

But swimming with her unknowing partner? Even if, maybe, he didn't know exactly how much they'd shared, how much he'd helped her, she found that she was strangely okay with sharing the experience with him.

Cryo's lips tweaked up into a half-smile that sat awkwardly on his face. "I believe I still owe you for my poor attempt at an interrogation when I believed you Other-cursed. Consider this my apology."

Olivia gave a half-hearted laugh. "Okay, I'll come, but on one condition."

Cryo tilted his head.

Olivia pointed a finger at him. "You never apologise to me again."

"I can't--"

"Ah!" said Olivia, pointing that finger skyward. "Nope! Don't do it!" She looked to the sky, where the beginnings of the auroras were starting to thread their way through the stars. "Did you want to wait until after the auroras before we go, or was the plan to just walk out my front door with a quick see-you-later to my parents?"

Cryo stepped a little further out onto the balcony with a glance at the sky. "I have a special place in mind, but we'll have to fly to get there."

"So... you want to wait until after the auroras, then?"

"I do not. I wish to be there by the time the auroras start."

Olivia placed her fingertips together. "Call me crazy, Cryo, but I'm pretty sure Lumi abilities turn off during the auroras and those wings of yours do not look like they'd trap enough air to glide safely down to the ground."

Cryo flared his wings and gave her a lazy grin.

It was so unlike him, yet that grin sat perfectly on his features like it was meant to be there all along. She didn't know what had changed with him, if this was the result of an off-duty Cryo, but Olivia was not ashamed to admit that a few of her insides melted at the sight.

"Then I guess I'm going to have to fly fast, aren't I?"

*+*+*+*

A/N - DAMMIT ADANDE WHAT ARE YOU DOING 

...Are you guys ready for next week? ;D