ShadowSong [Book 1 & 2: Complete] [NaNoWriMo16/17]

INTERMISSION FOR FLUFF

THIS CHAPTER IS NOT PART OF THE ACTUAL STORY~ FEEL FREE TO SKIP IF WANT. 

IS CUTE FLUFF. HOPEFULLY. 

Kiba wanted to say thank you for all the awesome comments you guys have left about the art she's done for ShadowSong, so I told her to draw a picture of literally anything and I'd write a scene for it. Say thank you to Kiba for the fluff you are about to receive ^_^ 

HERE YA GO--after a quick note from Kiba ;D

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Hi All, Kiba here!

I just wanted to pop in and give a big thank you to everyone who has commented on the artwork I did for some of the scenes for ShadowSong. Art is a big part of me, and seeing people appreciate it means the world to me.

You guys are awesome, and Kelsey and I appreciate you all in a big way. Your words are our motivation to make more pretty words and pictures, and we love seeing your feedback.

I know it certainly makes this awkward little Jackal Dragon's day (QωQ )

Thanks for sticking around and stay awesome!

~Kiba out

(/>3<)/ ♡

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Sometime in an afternoon, soon after Cryo and Banshee have taken care of a Manifested attack~ 

Olivia reached her room tired and a little more exhausted than usual.

She'd decided that the Other was intent on making her life as difficult as possible. There she'd been, at the bakery, intent on enjoying the rest of her afternoon with nothing but her favourite kind of cupcake--the pink, frosted kind with the shiny sprinkles. It was a treat she didn't often get considering how expensive they were, but she'd figured she deserved the treat. After the weeks of straight temple work and more Manifested than usual, starlight knew she'd damned well earned it.

But of course, the universe had other ideas. The bakery assistant had turned Manifested and promptly ruined her afternoon by getting her tangled up in a hostage situation. It might've been over in a few minutes, but the problem was, Olivia had managed to become one of the hostages.

She'd felt it when Cryo had tapped his tattoo twice. She just hadn't been able to do much about the whole transforming thing when her fellow hostages had insisted on huddling so close.

Olivia put her bag on the bed and flopped down on the covers.

The worst part about it all was that she'd never got the chance to even taste her cupcake. It'd been squished underfoot--or rather, underclaw. Banshee might've been able to transform and help Cryo save the day, but she hadn't been fast enough to save the cupcake.

"Today sucks, Viri," said Olivia, one arm covering her face. "I just wanted my cupcake and some time to myself."

Receiving no reply from the Ascended, Olivia looked up to see what she was doing--

"Viri wha..."

--and became aware of the fact that Cryo was standing on her balcony.

Olivia froze.

Had he followed her back? Had he somehow realised she was Banshee? Her gaze snapped to her bag. What if Viri wasn't replying because she'd been discovered and gone dark and--

"I'm still here," Viri whispered from the bag. "Go talk to him!"

"Right," muttered Olivia, swinging her legs off the beg and walking over to the balcony doors. "Talk to the Luminary that just rocked up on my balcony. Sure. Why not."

Cryo waited patiently as Olivia opened the doors, not entirely sure how to start the conversation.

"So, uh," said Olivia. "Sup, Cryo?"

"I apologise for dropping by unannounced," said Cryo, hands behind his back. "I, uh, wished to see how you were doing after the Manifested incident at the bakery earlier today."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. Cryo, fumbling with his words? Was the world ending? "I'm doing well. Kinda disappointed about the cupcake, but I mean, day saved, all is well, no complaints from me."

"Ah, yes, about the cupcake," said Cryo, clearing his throat. "I do apologise about that. It was an accident, as I'm sure you can understand, but, uh... well, yes. I wanted to make amends."

He brought his right hand out, and resting in his palm was the same, frosted cupcake she'd had earlier, complete with an edible Banshee insignia on top.

Olivia blinked, taken aback. She glanced up at Cryo, who was making a direct point not to look at her and--and was he blushing?

He's totally blushing, she thought. She definitely wasn't imagining the pink in his cheeks. She'd looked at them enough in the past to know it wasn't usually there.

... Not that he knew that or anything. She'd only been looking because he was her partner, it was practically her job to look at him on occasion or every so often just to make sure that he was okay and not dying or something.

Olivia's cheeks started burning, and she forced herself to calm down.

Think of something else. Think of... think of Regan. Regan in his, I don't know, swimmers! Doing a hip thrust or something and--oh starlight, okay Liv, don't think about that.

She took a deep breath and reached out for the cupcake, taking it in both hands. "You got this for me?"

Cryo bit his lip as he looked at the cupcake--not at her, the cupcake. The cupcake was safe from... whatever this was. "I thought it only right, considering I accidentally stepped on your other one."

Olivia smiled at him. "Well, I was a little cornered. If you hadn't intervened, I might've been turned into a cupcake myself."

"Only because you pushed that other girl out of the way," said Cryo. "If you hadn't, I believe she may have been the cupcake."

Olivia stuck her finger into the frosting and licked it. "Ah, so this is a reward for being heroically stupid?"

Cryo made a strange noise in the back of his throat, the blush on his cheeks increasing tenfold. "Uh, well, yes, something like that."

"Something like what, Cryo?"

"Like, um, a reward..." His gaze followed her finger as she repeated the process, just to see his reaction. "Reward for helping me. Me and Banshee. Keep people out of harm's way."

"High praise from a Luminary such as yourself," said Olivia with a laugh. "Thanks for the cupcake though Cryo, seriously. You've pretty much made my afternoon suck a whole lot less."

Cryo bowed from the waist. "You're welcome, Olivia. Thank you once again for your assistance, and uh, sorry for ruining your cupcake again."

"Apology accepted," said Olivia, inclining her head. "I hope you have a nice rest-of-the-day, Cryo."

"And you as well," said Cryo, heading to the edge of the balcony, launching himself into the air on a breath of frozen wind.

Olivia leaned against the doorway and watched the sunlight sparkle off his ice crystals, swiping her finger across the icing and bringing it to her mouth once more.

Perhaps today hadn't been so bad after all.

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But seriously, thank you guys for being awesome ^_^ You guys are 100% the reason I still post stuff to Wattpad. I love all of you <3