This Is What Makes Us Girls

˚₊‧꒰ა🍂🍁🧡  ໒꒱ ‧₊

When Ava had told Noel that Lorelei was forcing her to come to the mall, Noel had expected her cosplay-obsessed friend to be awestruck by the Daemos.

What she hadn’t expected was the entire mall to be interested.

Noel didn’t think she and Ava had taken that long to find proper clothes for the others, but clearly, they had waited too long. Now, Asch, Rhys, Pierce, and Leif were still wearing their traditional Daemos attire, and the humans around them loved it.

The crowd that surrounded them was massive—far larger than anything Noel had prepared for. Dozens of humans had rushed forward, pulling out their little rectangles to snap images of the knights, gasping in awe at their “perfect craftsmanship.”

Noel had barely gotten a word in before they were swarmed.

“This is insane,” Noel muttered under her breath, tightening her grip on Ava’s hand.

She was only half-listening to the chaos around her, but snippets of conversation made her stomach sink.

“How do they get the horns to look so real?”

“Dude, the fangs? That’s next-level.”

“What anime is this from?”

Noel had no clue what an “anime” was, but she did know that this much attention was dangerous. It was only a matter of time before some idiot got bold enough to poke at Asch or pull at Rhys’s cape—and Asch was not someone who tolerated being treated like an attraction.

Noel knew firsthand what happened when Asch’s temper flared. And if he lost it, they wouldn’t just be dealing with an angry crowd; they’d have security, police, or worse on their tails.

“We need to get out of here,” Noel muttered.

“No kidding,” Ava hissed back, eyes darting around in panic. “What do we do? We can’t just fight them off!”

She was right. This wasn’t Daemos—violence wouldn’t get them anywhere. They had to slip away before things escalated.

Thankfully, salvation arrived in the form of an announcement over the mall’s intercom.

“Attention shoppers! The Cosplay Convention is now open in the West Wing! All items are 50% off for the next hour!”

The effect was instantaneous.

Like a swarm of locusts, the crowd around them dispersed, people gasping and shrieking as they rushed toward the supposed “convention.”

Noel let out a breath of relief, watching as the tide of humans thinned out, leaving them in relative peace.

That relief, however, was short-lived.

Because as soon as the chaos settled, she realized that something was wrong.

Ava’s grip on her hand was gone.

And Pierce and Leif were the only ones standing beside her.

Noel’s heart dropped.

“Where’s Ava?” she demanded, scanning the crowd for any sign of her.

Pierce’s brows furrowed. “Prince Asch and Rhys seem to be missing as well.”

“No, no, no—” Noel turned sharply in every direction, trying to find them.

“They were just here!”

“Well, clearly, they’re not anymore,” Leif said, looking equally baffled.

Pierce hummed thoughtfully. “We should search for them before we attract more attention.”

“No kidding,” Noel muttered, pulling out her phone. She hit Ava’s contact, but it went straight to voicemail.

Great.

Leif, meanwhile, let out a breath of laughter. “I mean, what just happened?”

Noel shot him a glare. “A disaster, that’s what.”

Leif grinned. “You have to admit, though, that was kind of hilarious.”

Noel did not have to admit that.

She was already getting a headache.

How did this happen?

“You two are gonna end up doing something stupid if we split up,” she decided, stuffing her phone back in her pocket. “So no.”

“I would never!” Leif protested.

Pierce gave him a deadpan look. “You absolutely would.”

“Okay, rude.”

Noel ignored them, already focused on the next course of action.

“Alright. We’ll look together. If Ava, Asch, or Rhys are anywhere close, we’ll find them.”

With that, she took a deep breath and cupped her hands around her mouth.

“Ava!” she called.

Heads turned. People stared.

A few giggles and confused whispers rose from the crowd.

Noel ignored them and tried again.

“Ava!”

Still nothing.

“I don’t think any of them are gonna hear that,” Leif remarked, clearly unimpressed.

“Got any better ideas?” Noel shot back.

“We could threaten to kill everyone until they tell us what we want to know,” Leif suggested, like it was the most casual thing in the world. “Y’know, like we did back on Daemos.”

Noel’s expression darkened instantly.

“Do not mention that place,” she snapped.

The air between them tensed.

Leif’s lips pressed into a thin line, something unreadable flickering across his expression. He didn’t argue, though. He just… went quiet.

Noel felt a twinge of guilt.

She shouldn’t care. She shouldn’t. Leif had done worse to her before—he didn’t deserve her sympathy.

But when she turned to check on him, she froze.

Because Leif was knee-deep in a fountain.

Noel’s brain stopped working.

“…Leif,” she began, voice dangerously low.

“What?” he said, cocking his head innocently.

“Get out of there.”

“Why?” He shrugged. “Humans are dumb. They just leave money lying around!” He gestured at the coins now overflowing in his pockets.

Noel gaped at him.

Pierce, beside her, hummed. “Perhaps they are cursed or an offering of some sort,” he mused. “Best to leave them be.”

“You’re no fun,” Leif muttered.

Thankfully, he did step out of the fountain.

Unfortunately, a quarter hit him in the back of the head.

Leif spun around, snarling—only to be met with the furious glare of a tiny human child.

Noel had to do a double-take.

The girl couldn’t have been more than five years old, yet she had all the rage of an avenging spirit.

“That was my last coin,” she squealed, stamping her foot. “You ruined my wish, you jerk!”

Noel barely had time to react before Leif sneered and pushed her.

Not hard.

Not enough to actually hurt.

But the girl lost her balance and plopped straight into the murky fountain water.

For a long, agonizing second, everything was silent.

Then—

“MOMMYYYYY!”

Noel panicked.

“Leif, what did you DO?!” she hissed.

Leif, meanwhile, looked completely unfazed. “What? She threw something at me.”

Before Noel could argue, a very angry mother came storming over.

“My little angel! What happened?” she gasped, sweeping the crying child into her arms.

The girl sniffled, rubbing at her tear-streaked face—then lifted a tiny finger and pointed directly at Leif.

Her mother followed her gaze.

Then, at the top of her lungs, she screeched:

“SECURITY!”

“Oh, great,” Noel muttered.

A uniformed officer at the other end of the mall turned toward the commotion.

Noel grabbed both Pierce and Leif by the arms.

“Now we have to get out of here,” she said, dragging them toward the nearest shop—which, as luck would have it, was a movie theater.

“I can take him, Noel,” Leif said, nodding toward the approaching security guard.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she shot back, giving one last shove before pulling them into the darkness of the theater’s entrance.

˚₊‧꒰ა🍂🍁🧡  ໒꒱ ‧₊

As soon as they stepped inside, a voice called out:

“Oh, hey, Noel.”

Noel whipped around.

Behind the cashier’s counter, looking far too casual for the chaos surrounding them, stood a familiar figure.

“…Orin?” Noel blinked.

Lorelei’s friend smirked. “Didn’t expect to see you today.”

Noel groaned. “Orin, what are you doing here?”

“Working,” he said simply, gesturing to his uniform. “Crazy, huh?”

“Kinda.”

Orin’s gaze flickered between her, Leif, and Pierce.

Then, in a hushed tone, he asked, “Mall cop just came in. You guys in trouble?”

Noel hesitated. “Would you help us if I said yes?”

Orin studied her.

Then, with a casual shrug, he slid three movie tickets across the counter.

“Here. On the house.”

Noel stared at him, stunned.

“…You’re a lifesaver.”

Orin smirked. “I know.”

Without wasting time, Noel grabbed the tickets and pulled the others toward the dark theater ahead.

˚₊‧꒰ა🍂🍁🧡  ໒꒱ ‧₊

The second Noel stepped into the darkened theater, she finally exhaled.

They had escaped. For now.

She led Leif and Pierce up the stairs, choosing a row near the back where they could keep an eye on the exits. The theater was mostly empty—just a few scattered humans already settled in, eyes glued to the big glowing screen.

Noel didn’t care what movie they were about to watch. She just needed a moment to breathe.

Leif, however, did not get the memo.

“That was awesome!” he whisper-shouted as they sat down. “Did you see the look on that mom’s face? Priceless!”

Noel groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Leif. Shut up.”

Pierce hummed beside her, his sharp eyes scanning the theater. “This place is fascinating,” he admitted. “Moving images, controlled sound—an entire crowd hypnotized by a single story.”

Noel shot him a side glance. “Y’know, when you put it like that, it does sound kind of eerie.”

Pierce smirked. “Only a little.”

Leif, meanwhile, had already kicked his boots up on the seat in front of him, fully relaxed. “So what are we watching?”

Noel had no idea. She glanced at the screen just as the title appeared in bold letters: "Night of the Blood Moon".

A horror movie.

Lovely.

“Great,” she muttered under her breath. “Exactly what we need.”

Leif snickered. “What, you scared?”

Noel shot him a glare. “I’ve been to war, Leif. I think I can handle a dumb horror movie.”

She turned back to the screen, arms crossed. But as the movie started, she realized something.

She hadn’t been to war with humans before.

And humans? They had some disturbing ideas.

Within minutes, the film plunged into madness—dark figures lurking in the shadows, sudden jump scares that had half the audience yelping, eerie whispers crackling through the speakers.

Noel tensed.

She refused to react, but she could feel the way her skin prickled.

And then—just as the first monster lunged at the protagonist—

Leif grabbed her arm and screamed.

Noel jerked, startled—only to realize a second later that Leif was laughing.

“You idiot!” she hissed, smacking him upside the head.

Leif just cackled harder, curling into his seat. “Oh, that was so worth it.”

Noel shot a glance at Pierce, expecting amusement.

But to her surprise, Pierce looked completely unfazed.

In fact, he seemed… bored.

Noel frowned. “You don’t find this scary?”

Pierce blinked at her, then gestured at the screen. “A bloodthirsty spirit haunting the woods? That’s just a Tuesday on Daemos.”

…Okay, fair.

Still, Noel refused to be the only one affected.

So, as the next massively telegraphed jump scare approached, she waited—then smacked Leif’s knee right as it hit.

He yelped.

Noel smirked.

“You traitor,” Leif gasped, holding his chest like he’d been stabbed.

Noel just grinned. “Payback.”

Pierce let out the tiniest chuckle.

For the first time all day, Noel felt the tension in her chest loosen.

Despite everything—the chaos, the separation, the risk of discovery—she had to admit…

This moment? It wasn’t so bad.

But the moment didn’t last.

Because as the movie reached its climax, a sharp whisper came from the aisle.

“Noel.”

Noel stiffened.

She turned.

And there, crouching in the shadows, was Ava.

Noel’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest.

“Ava?!” she whispered, barely stopping herself from yelling.

Ava held up her hands. “Shhh! I don’t wanna get kicked out!”

Leif leaned forward. “How’d you find us?”

“I asked Orin if he’d seen you,” Ava whispered. “I’ve been sneaking around for like ten minutes.”

Noel reached forward and dragged her into the seat beside her. “Are you okay? What happened?”

Ava huffed, catching her breath. “I lost you guys in the crowd! Then I got stuck with Asch and Rhys, and—”

She paused.

Noel’s brows furrowed. “And?”

Ava gave her a look. “You do not wanna know what happened.”

Noel narrowed her eyes.

That meant she definitely wanted to know.

“Did Asch start a fight?” she guessed.

“…No.”

“Did Rhys start a fight?”

“…No.”

“…Did you start a fight?”

Ava groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Noel, I am begging you not to ask.”

Noel stared at her.

Then at the way she was practically hiding.

Then at the faint red stain on her sleeve.

Her stomach dropped.

“Ava. Whose blood is that?”

Ava stiffened.

Then—finally—she muttered:

“It’s ketchup.”

Noel blinked. “…Ketchup?”

Ava groaned again. “There was… an incident.”

Leif looked way too entertained. “What kind of incident?”

Ava shot him a glare. “I said don’t ask.”

Pierce tilted his head. “Where are Prince Asch and Rhys now?”

Ava hesitated.

Then, reluctantly, she admitted:

“They… may have gotten arrested.”

Noel stared at her.

Leif grinned. “Oh, this just got good.”

Noel pinched the bridge of her nose. “Ava.”

“In my defense,” Ava said quickly, “I told them not to throw the hotdogs.”

Noel exhaled deeply.

This was officially the worst day of her life.

But before she could even begin to process it, the theater door burst open.

A uniformed officer stood in the entrance, scanning the rows.

Noel’s breath caught.

Security.

They were so screwed.

“Ava,” she whispered urgently. “Time to run.”

Ava didn’t need to be told twice.

Without hesitation, she grabbed Noel’s wrist, yanked her up from her seat, and together, they bolted for the emergency exit.

Leif and Pierce were right behind them, barely managing to slip out before the officer spotted them.

The second they hit the back hallway, Noel gasped for breath.

“This is a disaster,” she panted.

Ava shot her a look. “Oh, now it’s a disaster?”

Leif was cackling. “I love Earth.”

Pierce sighed. “This place is… exhausting.”

Noel agreed.

But before they could debate anything else, they heard it—

The sharp crackle of a walkie-talkie.

Right around the corner.

Security was close.

Noel’s stomach lurched.

They had seconds to act.

So without thinking, she grabbed Ava’s hand and whispered, “Follow me.”

Then she ran.

Through the dark halls, down the stairs, past startled employees who barely had time to react—until finally, they found an open back door.

They burst through it, stumbling into an alley behind the mall, lungs burning.

For a moment, they just stood there, catching their breath.

Then Ava broke into laughter.

“Oh my god,” she wheezed. “That was the worst shopping trip of my life.”

Noel huffed out a breathless laugh. “Same.”

Leif clapped his hands together. “So, same time next week?”

Noel threw a popcorn kernel at him.

Ava wiped a tear from her eye. “Okay. Let’s never do this again.”

Noel fully agreed.

But even as the exhaustion settled in, she found herself glancing at Ava.

They had spent so much time running, hiding, surviving…

Yet somehow, here they were.

And for once—just for a moment—she wasn’t thinking about Daemos.

She was thinking about her.

Maybe, just maybe…

This day wasn’t so bad after all.

˚₊‧꒰ა🍂🍁🧡  ໒꒱ ‧₊

Once they managed to bail out Asch and Rhys, they went back to the apartment, with Johnny, the oh so beloved cat, greeted them with a hiss, then scurried off.

After their narrow escape from security, the group took a much-needed break, catching their breath in the living room. Leif was still grinning, clearly enjoying the adrenaline rush, while Ava was muttering about never going shopping with Daemos again.

Noel, however, wasn’t paying attention to any of it.

She was focused on Pierce.

He had been unusually quiet since they escaped. More than usual.

And when he stepped away from the others, leaning against the wall with an unreadable expression, she knew something was up.

Without a word, she followed him.

Pierce didn’t look at her immediately, but he seemed to sense her presence. He exhaled slowly, then reached into his coat.

“I believe this belongs to you.”

Noel blinked.

And then, when Pierce held something out to her, her breath hitched.

It was her dagger.

The dagger she had lost back in Daemos.

For a long moment, she could only stare at it.

“…Where did you get this?” she finally asked, her voice quieter than she meant it to be.

Pierce studied her, his crimson eyes calm but sharp. “I found it near the castle,” he admitted. “Before we left. I figured it meant something to you.”

Noel swallowed. Carefully, she reached out and took the dagger, running her fingers over the worn handle.

It was hers.

A piece of home.

A piece of a life that, for the longest time, she thought she had left behind.

She hadn’t even realized how much she missed it until now.

“…Why didn’t you say anything?” she asked.

Pierce’s gaze flickered. He looked away.

“…I wasn’t sure you’d want it back.”

Noel frowned. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Pierce was silent for a moment. Then, softly, he said,

“You left.”

The words weren’t accusing. They weren’t harsh.

But they did carry weight.

Noel’s grip on the dagger tightened.

“…Yeah,” she murmured. “I did.”

Pierce exhaled through his nose, closing his eyes briefly. “I knew you had your reasons,” he said. “And I didn’t stop you. But…”

He hesitated.

Then, finally, he looked at her.

“I thought you should have something from before.”

Noel felt her chest tighten.

Because that—that meant more than she could put into words.

Pierce wasn’t the type to express emotions easily. But this? This was his way of saying he cared.

“…Thank you,” she said quietly.

Pierce gave a small nod. “Don’t lose it again.”

Noel huffed a soft, almost breathless laugh. “No promises.”

Pierce smirked slightly, then stepped back. “We should regroup. Ava’s probably planning our next terrible decision as we speak.”

Noel rolled her eyes but smiled. “Yeah. Let’s go before Leif convinces her to set something on fire.”

Pierce sighed. “Probably.”

Noel snorted.

And as they walked back toward the others, she held the dagger just a little tighter.

For the first time in a long time, she felt like she had a piece of herself back.

And that? That mattered.

˚₊‧꒰ა🍂🍁🧡  ໒꒱ ‧₊