Episode 10 :p (MID Rewrite)
Whenever I take insanely long to make an episode I feel like that girl in that one meme thatās like āheyā¦heyyyyā¦how yall doing?ā lmao but hey! We reached double digits which is cool! After this imma let my brain recover for a lil bit and then get to rewriting like 90% of the rewriteš (genuinely sometimes when I reread those earlier episodes I wanna take past me and get her to read at least a single book before writing so she can expand her vocabulary š or at least know how to write lol) anyways enjoy!!!
Episode 10: The Plentiful Shelves of Floormart
Ava woke up surrounded by a bunch of her own blankets and pillows. She could barely even see anything because her vision was obstructed by everything. It was way too hot for this, but she had to admit, it was really cozy. It was like her own little cocoon she had no memory of making.
She sat up and found herself to be insanely sweaty. It was definitely due to the mountain of warmth that surrounded her, but again, she didnāt too much mind.
Ava looked around the room to find it completely dark and littered with cushions and some other blankets. It took a hot minute before her eyes could settled.
She looked towards her window to find a pair of orange eyes staring right at her. She yelped in shock and fell off the bed, bringing multiple pillows down with her. She squirmed around trying to stand up as she saw the eyes approach her from the bed.
āQueen Ava! Are you alright?ā Worried the figure.
Avaās eyes darted to look the figure up and down. It took a while for her to realize that it was Noi.
āWhat the hell man?!ā she chided. āYou scared the shit out of me! Why are you watching me sleep anyways?ā
Noiās eyes started to sparkle and he puffed up his chest with pride. āI was given the honor to watch over you while slept! It was a great time taking care of you these two nights!ā
Ava looked at the ginger bewildered as the sun seemed to show outside. It slightly hurt her eyes and it seemed to cause Noi genuine pain.
The Daemon shook his head and rubbed at his eyes. āUghā¦Iām still not used to thatā¦ā he groaned.
Ava had a bit of question in her eyes. She kinda just assumed these guys had some type of sun over there. Then again, it was a whole different planet.
Noi suddenly looked straight into the girlās eyes, startling her. āWeāve been waiting for some type of guidance on a certain issue weāve came acrossā¦ā he trailed off as he looked towards to bedroom door which turned out to be open.
Ava followed his gaze and looked at the kitchen. The fridge was wide open and completely empty. She didnāt think sheād ever see her own fridge look like this.
āThe heck?! Did you guys clear my fridge out when I was sleep?! You guys are-ā
āIt wasā¦uhmā¦a few days agoā¦we were hungry.ā Noi admitted.
Ava was suddenly hit with a wave of memories. Stuff about the killer cats, what day it probably was, and most importantly, when she saw all these guys scarfing down all her food.
The girl groaned in annoyance and sank back down into her pillows. Noi crouched down and crawled to lay next to her. Ava looked at him with annoyance, but that didnāt seem to deter him from doing anything.
āThat entertainment box thing talked about this one place called Floormart! It said it had great deals or somethingā¦ā he trailed off trying to remember the commercial.
Ava slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. Noi seemed to have been looking at her in awe, as if she was some sort of divine being. The ravenette didnāt really get it, she was sure she looked like shit right now.
The gingerās eyes grew brighter in the blue morning light. They seemed to have turned into a turquoise color because of the surroundings which Ava thought was weird, but attractive.
āThis Floormart place is where humans trade for goods, right? If youāre okay with it, maybe I could be your temporary knight for the day?ā Noi put his face closer to Avaās with a dopey grin. āItād be great for bondingā¦I wanna get to know you better!ā
Ava could feel her heart racing. It was so simple, what Noi just said, but it was surprisingly smooth. She could feel her face getting warmer, so she quickly looked away from the beaming ginger.
āIām very good at helping people, Queen Ava! Cāmon, choose me to go with you! Please?ā Noi leaned closer.
Avaās brain was a mess of feelings and unspoken stutters. She looked all around the room to avoid Noiās gaze, but it was almost impossible to due to how much they glow.
āIāll consider it manā¦ā she finally squeaked out.
Noi smiled impossibly wider and finally backed away from Ava. His face twisted into an expression of thought as he looked away from the girl, much to her confusion.
The ginger looked straight at Ava with some uncomfort in his eyes. She didnāt really understand the sudden change of mood, but itās a lot better than him unknowingly flirting with her.
āWhen you and Leif were alone in that cat thing, did you guys kiss?ā Noi looked away, seemingly embarrassed. āOrā¦more..?ā
Avaās eyes widened at both the memory and the thought at Noi being possibly jealous. In retrospect, itās kinda dumb to think he was unknowingly doing what he did earlier. He knew itād make Ava feel something for him, and Ava canāt do anything but respect the hustle.
āW-Well..?ā Said Noi impatiently. āI wanna know if I have to try harder, Queen Ava.ā
The ravenette was a bit taken aback, but she decided to answer his question. āWe didnāt do anything, man. Chill out.ā She sighed.
Noi lightened his expression and nodded. He moved away from Ava to give her some space and relaxed his muscles.
A ringing sound suddenly startled the both of them. Ava scoured through the pillows to find it, and held up the source of it triumphantly. The smile wasnāt kept for long, as it immediately melted into terror once she looked at the screen.
āDammitā¦I donāt feel like Lorelei talking my ear off right nowā¦ā lamented Ava, but she still decided to answer.
Before she could even hold the phone up to her ear, screeching and yelling could be heard from the other end. She kept it away from her head while having a tired expression in her face.
The yelling went on for a while before a few breaths were heard and a tiny āhello?ā was said. Ava finally held the phone up to her ear and got up.
āDonāt say anything yet, I can totally explain. Just need a private space to talkā¦ā she said glancing at Noi while walking towards the bathroom.
The ginger pouted at the accusation that heād ever snoop, and turned away. He could hear how Ava giggled at this, and it made his chest warm.
Still looking away, he saw a shadow tower over him that made him yelp. He jumped up and quickly formed his bow and arrow to find out that the figure was just Leif.
The assassin started snickering at Noiās misunderstanding which made the ginger blush slightly.
āCāmon dude, what the hell would be on earth thatād you even need a weapon?ā he shoved Noi playfully.
The smaller shoved Leif back. āYou scared me Leif! Almost gave me a heart attackā¦ā he sighed, āI thought you were gonna sleep in again todayā¦ā
Leif sat down on Avaās bed with a groan. āItās kinda hard to when I can hear you say shit like āDid you guys kiss?ā or āI wanna know if I have to try harder!āā He said while mocking Noiās voice.
The gingerās face grew a bright red and he quickly look away while Leif laughed. He could hear him get up from the bed and get closer to him until he was right next to his ear.
āLilā guy jelly? Donāt worry, when Iām king Iāll make sure youāve got top priorityā¦take that how you wanna.ā He whispered.
āMhm! Yup! Sure! Gonna go now!ā Noi sputtered while rushing towards the living room.
Leif laughed to himself and laid back down on the bed. He saw how the gingerās face grew a bright red and that only made him grin wider.
Annoyingly, that tight feeling in his chest seemed to have gotten worse because of it and it drove him crazy. But now he was in a hole dug by his own snarkiness, so he had to suck it up and continue to be confident.
Lorelei rushed through the streets of New Rune because of Ava once again. Itās been two whole days since sheās heard from her, and she was worried sick.
Sure, they hadnāt talked since the thing with her dads, but Ava usually always answered her calls whenever that had a spat like that beforehand. It didnāt help that she knew what her āfriendsā actually were, and what they were capable of either.
Lorelei turned the corner towards Avaās apartment complex. She wanted to help in anyway she could, especially knowing that she really was okay. If giving those guys some human clothes was gonna help, sheās gonna do it in a heartbeat.
The brunette finally made it to the building and burst through the door like a missile startling some folks in the lobby. She said a quick āsorryā before heading towards the elevator.
To her dismay, someone seemed to have been wanting to use it, and she had to go in there with them.
She didnāt mind elevators, but when itās with a complete stranger she despised them. The way that sheād want to do her little nervous movements, but had to hold each one in, making her space out and be uncomfortable. The way she could tell the stranger noticed her awkwardness and felt uncomfortable too. The way-
Sheās rambling. She was rambling in her own head. That probably made her make a face or something. All she needed to do was get to Ava and help.
Ava sat by her kitchen counter watching over the five Daemons. She couldnāt lie, it was pretty interesting to just see how they interacted and reacted to things they barely knew about.
Rhys and Noi seemed glued to the TV. She hadnāt really seen the two even talk to each other, so this mustāve been something rare.
She could tell that Rhys wasnāt the happiest with the smallerās presence though, with how heād just hold up his hand when he thought he was talking too much. Which he did a lot.
Asch and Pierce seemed to be whispering about something by the window. It irked Ava that she couldnāt hear a single thing they were saying, but at the same time they had to be whispering for a reason.
Leif was absolutely knocked out on the couch. Ava heard something earlier that he was sleeping in a lot the past two days from Noi before Rhys shut him up again. She wanted to assume it was because of the whole mini cat war they had, but she couldnāt really be sure. A part of her felt that it wasnāt out of tiredness, but if not that, what else?
Avaās thoughts were stopped by hearing an army of knocks at the door. The four awake men quickly put up their guard, and looked between Ava and the door ready to form their weapons.
āWould you guys chill out? Itās probably just Lorel- I meanā¦my dear friend andā¦uhā¦advisor Lorelei!ā She said awkwardly before rushing to the door.
Once she opened it, her smile immediately faded. Finding her landlord, Wesley.
She kinda hated him, but she knew he hated her too. Actually, she could never really tell what he thought of her. She just knew he treated her differently than the other people who lived here.
He looked a tiny bit angry with his bad posture, greasy brown hair, and impossibly pale and acne prone skin. He was taller than Ava, but that wasnāt saying much since she wasnāt the tallest person ever. Itās not like he was short for a guy though.
Ava scanned his other features. He held a comic book close to his chest, and she noticed he was wearing his usual nerdy shirt. She didnāt think sheās ever saw Wesley wear a different type of outfit other than the tried and true nerd shirt and jeans and maybe a grey jacket.
Wesley snapped his fingers in front of Avaās face to get her attention back. She stopped analyzing the poor guy and shook her head to rid herself of her thoughts.
āAva! What I-Iām talking about is s-serious! If youāre gonna have your dads pay off your rent, at least have them do it on time!ā He complained while adjusting his glasses.
Ava groaned, āI know, and thatās entirely my fault, dudeā¦can I ask my dads to pay it tomorrow? Iām kinda busy todayā¦ā
āAva, itās been due for five days! Almost a week! You need to pay it today or Iām gonna have to put my foot down.ā Wesley stomped his foot to emphasize his point, but it ended up being funny if anything
Ava did her best to hold back her giggles. She knew he was doing his job, but not only did she really need this extra day, she was starting to get a bit irritated.
āDude, cāmon! Is one day really gonna hurt? I donāt need a squirt like you bossing me around!ā insulted Ava.
Wesley stopped fidgeting with his glasses and looked Ava dead in the eyes. āWell this squirt is your landlord! So, yeah! I do have authority over you!ā he stomped his foot again and actually made his point known with it.
āListen, Ava, youāve broken a lot of rules Iāve just had to overlook! Bringing in some random guys and thenā¦eughā¦with them is something I could genuinely kick you out for! No matter what your dads say!ā Yelled Wesley.
Avaās face quickly heated up and she got angrier. āWhy the hell would you assume something like that, you weirdo!ā
She went to close the door before Wesley stopped her with his book. He forced the door open, pushing back Ava a bit in the process.
āAva, y-you canāt keep doing this! If you donāt pay your rent today, I will be giving you that notice, and youāll be out in the next week!ā he shouted.
Ava didnāt even pretend like she was intimidated by the man and yawned. That seemed to annoy Wesley even more.
āAll Iām asking for is a day! Yāknow, youāre kinda pissing me off, dude. Go back to your little goon cave and jerk off to whatever video game porn you like!ā Fumed Ava while pushing Wesley and attempting to slam the door.
The landlord stopped her with his book again and pushed Ava back. āAva Iām fucking serious! Iām not gonna let you insult me and assume things about me anymore! Youāre out! Youāre done! Iām not dealing with your bullshit anyā¦moreā¦ā
Wesleyās face turned into a white Ava didnāt think was possible for a human being. She was extremely confused by the sudden change in attitude until she noticed the unusual amount of shadow around both of them.
Ava looked up to see all five of the Daemons looking dead at Wesley. āWe got a problem?ā said Asch with his arms crossed.
Wesley backed away, but still somehow stood his ground. āUh-Uhm we do a-actuallyā¦ā he stammered.
āOh, really? Enlighten us then. Go ahead.ā Asch put a slight growl in his voice.
Wesley backed up even more, but didnāt even look like he was gonna run away. āAva hasnātā¦paid her rentā¦and she keeps doing thisā¦surely you guys understand how annoying that can beā¦especially with my job and stuffā¦ā
āI donāt. I donāt really care either,ā stated Asch. He walked towards Wesley and crouched down to his level. āSay another word about this rent shit and see what happens. I dare you.ā
Wesley looked away from the Daemon and started to run away without a word. Asch looked into the hallway to make sure he was gone and shut the door.
Ava stared at him in disbelief. She often forgot that these guys were capable of some violent stuff, and she honestly didnāt know how she did.
Asch looked dead at Ava and she quickly looked away. The prince walked closer to her and looked down at her.
āWhatās this rent thing you two were talking about?ā He asked while maintaining the growl he had in his voice when talking to Wesley.
Ava didnāt even want to talk to the guy when heās like this. It made her have the same shaky feeling whenever he tried, and succeeded at, intimidating her.
āUhmā¦rent is a thing where humans pay money in order to live at a placeā¦ā she hesitated.
Aschās eyes continued to bore into Ava. āIf youāre royalty why do you have to abide by such aā¦peasantry rule?ā he questioned.
Ava started to panic. If they saw through her lie, who knows what they would do to her.
āR-Royalty isnāt really above anyone when it comes to things like this. We just come up withā¦uhā¦ loopholes!ā She was only half lying, so itās not like she was digging her hole deeper.
Aschās eyes didnāt waver from Ava, but it seemed as if he wanted to drop the topic. āā¦Iām sure you noticed the lack of foodā¦you gonna do something about that?ā
āUgh! Give me some time, dude! I need to get you guys some disguises before I even think about letting you guys walk around in public.ā she complained.
Ava pushed the prince aside to grab her phone from the counter. She could hear him grumbling to himself while she checked to see if Lorelei was nearby.
Lucky for her, a flurry of knocks could be heard from the door. That had to be Lorelei.
She told the Daemons to go back to what they were doing so she could welcome her friend. This time, it actually was the brunette, and she immediately hugged her.
āOh my god Lorelei, thank you so much!ā said Ava while hugging Lorelei tightly. āIām just really busy! I appreciate the help a lot!ā
Lorelei hugged Ava back with much more enthusiasm. āOf course, girl! Iāll have these guys lookinā stylish!ā
The ecstatic brunette speedwalked towards the front of the TV to both Rhys and Noiās dismay, and put on a her sponsor voice. It wasnāt as squeaky as her content one, but still got her the attention she needed.
āAlright everyone! Get ready to get out there and dominate with style!ā She announced while slamming a large duffle bag on the table, startling all the Daemons.
She unzipped the bag and took out a black, sleek, leather jacket paired with a black and red Maximum the Hormone shirt and black acid washed jeans. She took the outfit and handed it over to Asch.
āGo ahead and put this on! It should be your size, but I did kinda guessā¦ā Lorelei trailed off while returning to the bag leaving a confused Asch.
The brunette took out another set of clothes. It was an olive green Harrington jacket with a white shirt and tan cargo shorts paired with a gold chain.
Lorelei handed this to Leif whose eyes immediately lit up as soon as he saw the glistening gold of the chain. He shot Asch a cheeky smile, and the prince huffed in response.
The third outfit was an orange and navy blue wind breaker with an orange beanie and black pants. She handed it off to Noi who looked at the set of clothes with sparkles in his eyes.
Loreleiās smile faded a bit after taking out a dark blue shirt with an outline of a palm tree and black pants. āI wouldāve gotten a better fit for you Pierce, butā¦youāre kindaā¦large?ā
Leif started wheezing as Noi started to get an offended expression. āL-Lady Lorelei! Thatās not a way you should describe Pierce! You should-ā Pierce covered Noiās mouth with his hand.
āItās fine. Iām not tiny.ā He said simply while taking the clothes from Lorelei.
Lorelei took out a final outfit that comprised of a dark purple turtleneck and beige high rise chino pants. She handed it off to Rhys whose face twisted into a look of nervousness.
Lorelei cocked her head to the side to silently question the Daemon, but he didnāt seem to notice, still fixated on whatever about the outfit made him uncomfortable.
Lorelei stood back in front of the TV while clasping her hands together. āThese outfits were specially curated by yours truly to fit your looks and what type of guy Ava thought you were! Do yāall love it?ā
The five men sat in silence for a bit looking at their clothes. Lorelei and Ava started to feel a bit awkward. They shouldāve known, guys that live in medieval times probably wouldnāt like things like th-
āI think I love this.ā Said Asch, still admiring his outfit. āI can almost see the human culture oozing off of this. If itās what it takes to fit in, I donāt mind it.ā
The rest of the Daemons nodded in agreement, saying their thanks to Lorelei. The brunette sighed with relief and made a wide smile.
She cleared her throat, āwhat are you guys waiting for? Try them on! Go ahead!ā
A collective āohā started to fill the room as they all filed into the bathroom, pushing and shoving each other in the process.
The girls were left to themselves listening to the bickering from the bathroom. Lorelei looked over to the other with an expression much more serious than before.
Ava furrowed her brows, āwhat? Whatād I do?ā She questioned. The brunette just sighed and looked away in thought.
āā¦I saw your landlordā¦he looked scared to death or something.ā She finally said, making the tension in the room thick despite the background noise.
Ava stared off into space. āItās his fault. I told him, like, a thousand times to give me one extra day.ā
āItās his job though. Using those guys as guard dogs for something that petty is kindaā¦ā Lorelei trailed off letting Ava finish her sentence. āAn ass move?ā Said the other.
āYeahā¦ā Lorelei refused to look at Ava, staring right at the wall.
The two stood in silence listening to how the men in the bathroom argued with each other. āGoddamn Noi youāre white! Like, blindingly white!ā Said a voice that was most likely Leif.
Ava laughed at the assassinās comment, but Lorelei still looked at her concerned. The shorter didnāt want to look back at the brunette, but it was like her eyes were begging her to.
āYou canāt use them as guard dogs Ava. Itāsā¦I donāt know it feels kinda icky.ā Said Lorelei as she went to sit on the couch.
Ava could feel a tinge of anger brewing in her, but she tried to hide it. āIn all honesty, itās none of your business.ā
Lorelei glanced at Ava and quickly looked away. āYouāre the one whoās making it my businessā¦ā she murmured.
All the words Ava wanted to yell at Lorelei honestly made her concerned. They barked and scratched at her throat, begging to be released in Loreleiās direction. There was no way she could do that to her though, she was helping her.
Fortunately, one of the Daemon guys walked out of the bathroom. She could direct this anger towards them instead.
āYOU! Takinā forever, my god! Letās get outta here.ā She turned towards the door hoping it wasnāt one of the guys she cared about.
Ava fumbled with the lock of the door for a bit while whoever she just yelled at came right behind her. They towered over her, and even though almost all of them did, this was definitely a way bigger difference.
She slowly turned around finding out that it was Pierce. He didnāt look pissed, but he didnāt look happy either. It was actually a good bit of disappointment, which was probably worse.
āThe others are done. Weāre waiting on Noi to get the courage to hide his horns.ā He said blankly.
Ava raised an eyebrow. āWhat do you mean āget the courageā you guys did it a few days ago just fine,ā she questioned.
āItās like if letās say your arm,ā Pierce grabbed at Avaās arm, holding on to it tightly. āWas suddenly ripped off. Bit by bit. That sizzling sensation. Itās not a good feeling.ā
Ava took her arm away from the general and gave him a look of fear. Pierce stared for a few seconds before looking away.
Ava, Lorelei, and the five Daemons found themselves strolling throughout the streets of New Rune towards Floormart. It wasnāt the best supermarket in the world, but it sure was cheap, and thatās all Ava needed.
Occasionally one of the guys would ask a quick question about the different things around them. Some were a bit annoying to Ava like: āWhat are those big screens for?ā or āHow do your people have so much magic?ā
She hated when they would talk about magic and their whole crisis. A part of her wanted them to randomly forget about it, and treat it like itās such a minor issue. Obviously they werenāt gonna do that though.
The only reason why all of earth hasnāt been blown up or something was because of her lie. That type of pressure is agonizing, and having them constantly remind her of it wasnāt helping.
Ava didnāt know what to do if they found out. She wouldnāt know how to calm them down, lead them somewhere else, nothing. Sheās gotta keep this up.
In order to do that though, sheās gotta play along. āTheyāre to let my people know the goings on!ā or āthe supply is endless!ā little things like that.
Ava didnāt want to linger too much on this. She wanted to enjoy the moment. She had to start doing that instead of just saying it.
āQueen Ava, that over thereā¦thatās Floormart, right?ā asked Asch, pointing over to a large building made of stone with big bold letters spelling āMall of New Rune.ā
āItās not that. It is inside it though.ā answered Ava. Asch made a sound of confusion, but Ava didnāt feel like explaining a mall to him.
Ava held the door open for Lorelei and the guys to the entrance to the mall. The Daemons made sounds of awe looking at the oddly lavish inside.
āSoā¦which ones do you want me to be in charge of? Unless you wanna be one group.ā whispered Lorelei so the guys couldnāt hear.
Ava didnāt even hesitate. āPlease take Aschā¦if I have to hear another one of his āIām a prince!ā speeches, I think Iāll end itā¦ā she groaned.
The brunette nodded while laughing and walking over to the guys. She grabbed Aschās hand and led him over to a few stores. Obviously with some protest.
āHey! The hell are you doing!?ā seethed Asch while Lorelei continued to pull him away from the group.
The prince tried to snatch his hand away from the girl, but she had somehow kept his grip on him. It took a minute for the Daemon to realize that there was no way he was escaping Lorelei.
āWhatās she doing to Asch?ā chuckled Leif while watching the prince grumbling to himself.
āHeās kinda gettinā annoyingā¦oh, shit! Yeah, youāre not a friend!ā she realized. It seemed to be too late, as she saw Leif trying his best not to burst out laughing.
Ava sighed, āyou wonāt tell him, right? I canāt take another serious talk with the dudeā¦ā she massaged her temples.
The assassin took a deep breath to calm himself down. āDonāt worry, Queen Ava. I know how it feels to get talked down to nā shit.ā
The blanchette tried to put his hands behind his head only to find Rhys right behind him. He yelped in fear before quickly covering his mouth and looking at Rhys with annoyance.
āMy apologiesā¦ā murmured Rhys. He seemed to be paying attention to something completely different. His eyes were trying to stay focused on Leif while squinting.
āDude, back up! I need my personal spaceā¦ā he huffed while backing away from the advisor who also made an effort to back off.
āApologiesā¦ā Rhys repeated while squinting his eyes even more.
Ava wanted to ask more, but she quickly dismissed the idea. She didnāt really want to act like a sort of therapist at the moment.
She called out to the remaining Daemons so they could get on their way. Surprisingly, they followed every order Ava would throw at them. Yeah, they were basic ones like: donāt talk to them, donāt touch that, or letās move on, but they were still listening.
Despite how easy things were being, she could still feel a bit of tension in the air. It was a lot like when she could feel Pierce staring right at her back in the hidden palace she didnāt know she had.
Occasionally, sheād look back at the men following her to spot out who was staring, but all of them looked away just as she did. It got on her nerves so much she kinda just gave up on trying to solve the issue.
The group eventually made it to Floormart, and Ava was relieved. Whoever was staring seemed stopped to admire the scene, and she never thought sheād be glad of how baby-ish these guys could be at times.
She turned to the men and clasped her hands together to grab their attention. āAttention!ā she proclaimed, āThis here is the finest market around! Behave yourselves if you know whatās good for you.ā
Was she actually going to do anything if one of these guys acted out? No, of course not. She could go for the balls, but that involves them retaliating, which she didnāt want at all. She could still feel all the places Leif had kicked her.
Ava signaled for the guys to follow her and they were on their way through the large Floormart.
Lorelei dragged Asch to a spot in the large mall that was far away from Floormart. The whole way he made his arguments and insults and flung them towards the brunette, but she paid no mind.
The two made it to a boba store and Lorelei squealed and held Aschās hand tighter. āYou probably never had boba before, right?ā She asked while shifting from foot to foot quickly.
The prince tried to take his hand away from her. āBoa-bah? No, and I donāt want to,ā he finally yanked his hand away. āAnd get off of me!ā
Lorelei rolled her eyes, āCāmon! Youāve gotta live a little man! Trust me, boba might be the best thing youāve ever tasted!ā
The brunette tried to grab at Aschās hand again, but he swatted her hand away quickly. It was light enough that it didnāt hurt her thankfully, but it still stung.
āI said I donāt want any! What type of advisor are you? If I say no thenā¦ā Asch trailed off and paused for a bit while looking around. Lorelei was more than confused, but still decided to follow his gaze.
The prince was staring right at a cart offering ribs and other barbecue delicacies. He sniffed for a bit and, almost like a zombie, walked over to it. The brunette matched his pace with a jog and watched as he eyed the food.
Lorelei grew a smug look on her face. āShouldāve known a guy like you would like barbecue.ā she took out her wallet, āWant me to buy you some?ā
It took a bit for Asch to respond as he became hypnotized by the smell surrounding the area. āIā¦uhā¦sure.ā He slightly whispered.
Lorelei paid the guy that was selling the meat and he gave her a big pork skewer. When she gave it to the prince he looked as if he was about to cry when he took a bite.
āHaha! Is it good, man?ā she giggled as they both walked away from the cart. Asch didnāt respond, too fixated on how tender the pork was when he bit into it.
Lorelei smiled while following Asch through the mall. Heād look at her from time to time, but he mostly just paid attention to his food.
The two decided to sit down on a bench by a store called Cold Topic. The brunette pointed to it. āYāknow, I got your clothes from that store! It fit your color pallette nā stuff!ā
Asch licked some barbecue sauce off his fingers and looked towards the store. It was crass and way too inappropriate for a public store. Wares and clothing with immature words, as well as adult jokes.
Asch wrinkled his nose. āYou think I fit that?ā he grimaced.
He put his empty basket to the side and sat up straight. Lorelei didnāt know much about the Daemon, but from what Ava has said, sheās in for a bit of a monologue.
āListen, Iām a prince. I shouldnāt be getting clothes from thisā¦place.ā he complained. Lorelei rolled her eyes while smiling.
āIām already pissed at you for giving Leif gold instead of me, but revealing you got my clothing from such a low quality store is justā¦ā Asch looked over to the brunette only to notice that she was dangerously close to laughing at him.
Lorelei quickly straightened herself up when she saw his gaze, but it was too late. The Daemon looked way too mad to even consider explaining herself.
āAre you serious? Laughing at me while Iām trying to complain to you?ā Asch tried to make himself look bigger to intimidate Lorelei. It worked briefly until she got used to how angry he was at the moment.
āIām sorry dudeā¦you just donāt seem like the type to use big wordsā¦ā she admitted.
Aschās eyes widened and a flash of hurt appeared on his face. He replaced the expression with pure rage and got up from the bench.
āSo you think Iām a dumbass, huh?ā he fumed. āThatās why youāre treating me like this.ā
Asch stormed off and before he fully turned away from Lorelei, that same look of hurt appeared on his face. The brunette jumped up and tried to chase him down.
āW-Wait! Cāmon I-I wasnāt fully serious!ā she cried while shoving people in order to catch up with Asch. āYou canāt just switch to fancy language all randomly, man!ā
No matter how much Lorelei called out to Asch, the prince seemed to have been tuning her out. She eventually lost him in the crowd, and he was completely gone.
The brunette stood in the middle of the mall dumbly until a stranger bumped into her, forcing her to get by a nearby store. She had to start coming up with a way to find that guy again.
She could tell the lady at the customer service counter to make a alert of a missing person, but not only would that tell Ava she lost him, heād probably be mad getting treated like a kid.
Lorelei snapped her fingers once she gained an idea. If she could get on the second floor, she might be able to spot Asch. He was wearing all black after all, and not a lot of people in New Rune are willing to do that.
She rushed toward the escalators with a mission in mind. The faster she could find Asch, the faster she could see whatever that expression was about.
Everything was just fine, peachy even. Yeah, she mightāve almost immediately lost all four of the guys right when she walked in, but Ava was doing just fine.
Despite her totally not panicking state, she grabbed a cart and started whizzing through the store. After all, she still needed to get some shopping done.
Ava did the tried and true way of finding anyone in a large store. Walk through the aisles and see if theyāre in it. This, sprinkled with actually going in the aisle to get something.
She quickly got sidetracked while looking at a box of Lilā Deb Cakes. They were the Swiss roll ones, and Ava could almost taste them. No matter how much she tried to stop herself, she ended up grabbing the box. And putting it back down again. And then grabbing the box.
It was a cycle of āYou came here for REAL FOOD.ā and āWho the heck cares?ā It really reminded her how much she needed to start actually going to the gym instead of having her dads continuously have to pay for the membership. Except it didnāt, because who cares about a few cakes.
Ava finally grabbed the box in triumph of beating her inner self.
And then proceeded to succumb to it by putting it back down.
She slowly back away from the box and walked off to do what she was doing earlier until an even more fattening Lilā Deb Cake caught her eye.
They were Honeycomb buns. Actual, honest to god, Honeycomb buns. She always assumed they got banned where she lived given how much sugar they had and how rare they were.
These were worst health wise than the Swiss rolls, but she could imagine the tears in her eyes if she could even smell the cakeās not-even-honey goodness. Ava subconsciously grabbed the box.
She had to get these. For collection of course. Theyāre banned, at least she assumed, so she had to get it. For collection. For science, even.
Ava slammed the box back on shelf, startling someone that was shopping near her. She didnāt dare to make eye contact with the person and started to try to make a decision.
Yes, you should buy this. No, you need food. She couldāve stood there for weeks, months, years even, just deciding whether to buy this box of cake. No, actually, sheās over exaggerating, but at the moment it feels like she could.
āIs there anything I could help you with maāam?ā Said someone in a Floormart vest while stocking the shelf with more sweets.
Ava jumped slightly and looked at the worker with annoyance. āHuh? No, Iām good. Just decidingā¦ā
The Floormart employee leaned into Avaās vision. āWell, if youāre sure about that, may I ask you a quick question?ā they asked with a smile.
āLook, I donāt really have the time, I wasnāt even doing this in the first placeā¦what was I doing..?ā
āL-Leif! Youāre going too fast weāre gonna crash into something!ā Shouted Noi while inside a shopping cart. Leif was pushing him and he was about as fast as light.
The two sped past Ava and the worker who were painted with confusion. The employee looked at Ava with concern and she simply just shrugged.
āLeif! Noi! You absolute idiots!ā Yelled Rhys while running after the other two Daemons. He was scarily fast, but it seemed to be no match for how fast the shopping cart was with Leif as an engine.
āHehā¦thatās what I was lookinā forā¦ā confessed Ava, slowly walking away from the worker. They reached out for her, and as soon as they did, the ravenette ran away.
āMaāam! Come back!ā They shouted while chasing Ava.
Everyone was running after each other through the entire store. Leif narrowly misses multiple by standers as he at that point didnāt even have to run with the cart.
He glided through the aisles and accidentally knocked over a tower of toilet paper, much to a workerās dismay. Noi screamed each time Leif dodged someone and shouted an apology.
Rhys was chasing the two like his life depended on it. He swiftly went through any crowds that could get him to cut through their path. He was right behind Leif as he continued to run.
The advisor reached for the collar of Leifās jacket and grabbed it. The assassin made a slight surprised sound but held tightly to the cart and leaned in forward. This prompted Noi to put all his weight in the front of the cart so they wouldnāt all tip over.
Rhys jumped to where his feet were in that same area Leifās were and his hands were on the bar. This fixed Leif into a position that didnāt make him the most comfortable.
āOh, cāmon! Thereās gotta be a better way to do this!ā Complained Leif while elbowing Rhysā stomach.
The advisor managed to keep his grip on the cart as he steered clear of any people. āNot only did you leave me to rot, but youāre causing a scene! Iām putting an end to it by stopping this damned cart!ā
Rhys proceeded to steer right for where most of the carts were located. Leif started to panic, and with his quick thinking, he leaned back. Rhys couldnāt do anything but lean forward, changing the direction of the cart to the canned foods aisle.
The taller cursed under his breath as Leif started to take control of the cart. āItās time for you to get outta here!ā announced the assassin while he attempted to push Rhys off.
The advisor hopped off the cart but started running to keep up with it. Leif scoffed and tried to bump into him to get him to fall. Rhys slowed down a bit in order to be behind the two Daemons.
He heard the sound of fast turning wheels behind him, and he quickly turned around to see Ava speeding towards him.
āRhys! You think you can control the cart?ā She yelled. The Daemon nodded and she haphazardly got into the front while Rhys quickly took control of steering it.
The two chased Leif and Noi through the store. Ava occasionally asked to get in certain aisles to not only complete her shopping, but to also find Pierce. With all the commotion they were causing, there was no way he couldnāt have noticed them.
Leif ordered Noi to knock down a whole shelf comprised of hard candy. The ginger listened to him, and briefly grabbed onto the shelf before letting it go, making it tip over and spread candy all over the floor.
Rhys slowed the cart to not lose control and crash into anything. āWe lost themā¦ā he said, more to himself than to Ava.
āDonāt worry, dude, itās fine.ā she assured, āBesides, I have an idea thatāll catch āem!ā
Rhysā ears perked up to show that he was listening, and Ava had to ignore how kinda cute it was.
āFrom what Iāve seen, you guys usually take Pierceās word seriously, right? If we can find him, surely heāll talk some sort of sense into them.ā She explained.
Rhys wringed his hands in thought. āI suppose that could workā¦ā he said.
āGreat! Letās get going then!ā Chirped Ava while pointing ahead. Rhys got the message and started pushing to speed through the aisles.
Lorelei was starting to get very discouraged. She couldnāt find Asch anywhere, at least no where away from the grocery part of the mall. Heād have to have gone that way, and she knew itād be a hassle to get him outta there.
She ran down the escalator, almost tripping over on the steps, and ran to the grocery district of the mall. If Ava were to find out she lost sight of Asch, Lorelei wouldnāt never hear the end of it.
Lorelei waded through the crowd looking for any sign of the Daemon. She cursed herself for not being a tad bit taller, at least to see over everyone without having to jump.
āYou assholes!ā yelled someone a bit ahead of Lorelei. She hopped up with excitement assuming it was Asch getting angry at some other people. She pushed and shoved through people to find the source of the voice.
When she finally got through, all she saw was someone cosplaying as some anime character. They appeared to be doing some type of mini show that caught the attention of lots of people.
Lorelei groaned while going back into the crowd with disappointment. She looked around for any other sign of the prince, but couldnāt see anything. The brunette sat on a nearby bench defeated and sighed. The guy was as good as gone, and all she could do was wait for Ava to get mad at her.
Right up until she could hear some arguing in the store behind her.
āI said that you should fear me! Either that, or Iām killing you right where you stand!ā yelled a voice that sounded a lot like Asch.
āSir, if you keep screaming Iām gonna have to escort you out the store.ā said the poor employee behind the counter. They had tons of piercings and blindingly blond hair.
Lorelei jumped up to look through the window of the store. Asch was face to face with the worker and he looked, for lack of better word, pissed. Of course it obviously wasnāt the employeeās fault, but he was aiming to direct it at someone, and they were the closest.
āWhat type of merchant are you? Huh? I ask you to get me some clothes of my liking, and you canāt even do that?!ā shouted the prince.
The worker slammed her fist down on the counter, āSir, this is a goddamn Klaireās!ā they yelled. āI donāt give a damn anymore!ā
The employee leaped towards Asch and knocked him down. They started to choke the prince, but he quickly fought back and started to push them off.
Lorelei started to panic and rushed into the store, āAsch!ā she yelled. Right before the prince punched the worker right in their face, he looked at her with fierceness in his eyes. It quickly disappeared, replaced with that same hurt expression.
āāTch, why the hell are you here?ā He said while getting off the employee.
āGetting you outta here! Cāmon!ā Lorelei grabbed Aschās hand and ran out the store.
The two ran for a bit with the brunette intentionally going farther and farther away from the Floormart. Instead, they camped out at an arcade and hid in it. They walked to the near back of it that was home to most of the racing games.
āI think weāll be fine if we stayed here a bitā¦ā guessed Lorelei. āHey, you didnāt see anybody take a rectangle thing, did you? Those are called phones and they-ā
āHushā¦ā said the prince absentmindedly. Lorelei made a look at him, but she brushed it off.
He studied the glowing screen showcasing bad 3-D models of bikes racing each other through a beach bathed in sunlight. He seemed enamored with the quick flashing lights that came each time a bike exploded or when they crashed into each other.
Lorelei quickly hopped in his line of sight. āI actually kinda like this game! It gets a lot of hate for the models, but it just kinda adds to the pizazz for me!ā
Asch nodded, but in a way that actually signified he was listening. āMmā¦could you teach me how to interact with this thing?ā he asked. āIāve seen these āvideo gamesā on Avaās magic box, but Iāve never paid much mind to it.ā
The brunette made a wide smile. āOf course, Asch! Lemme just get a few coins out of my-ā
āO-M-G, is that LORE-Y?ā Squealed a voice behind the two. Asch jumped up quickly, making a sound similar to a startled cat. Lorelei simply sighed and turned around.
āYupā¦itās meā¦! Heheā¦ā she waved weakly as the person who screamed got uncomfortably close to her. Up close, they couldnāt be older than 15, so Lorelei gave them the benefit of the doubt with social understandings. Still, way too close.
āI think I might be your biggest fan! Your newest skit is just mwah! French kiss!ā rambled the fan. Lorelei nodded over and over, but was clearly unnerved by the person.
āMhm! Listen nowās not really the time for conversation, but Iād love to talk another time! Yāknow I-ā
āO-M-G youāre just my hero, LORE-Y! I want a hug! Please? Please?!ā pleaded the fan while practically lunging at the poor brunette. Lorelei screamed alerting the Daemon beside her.
Asch kicked away the person right in their stomach, and watched as they tumbled away and curled up in pain. They held their stomach as they got up with tears in their eyes. Quickly, they ran out the arcade as everyone stared at Lorelei and the prince.
The brunette grabbed Aschās hand and darted out of there without a word. The prince seemed to pick up on the message and didnāt complain one bit.
At this point, no where was safe to even stand for a second. They needed to get out of the mall entirely. Lorelei led Asch through the many staring crowds out of the doors of the mall. They found refuge in the area by the dumpsters.
The two took a minute to catch their breath before they said anything. Asch slumped on the side of the dumpster and put his head in his hands.
āI donāt wanna believe youā¦ā he said, his voice low. Lorelei looked up, confused. āHuh?ā she said worryingly.
āI said I donāt wanna believe you!ā he yelled, but quickly tried to calm himself down.
Lorelei took a step back, but still stared straight at the man. She crouched down to meet him at his slumped level.
āYou think Iām a dumbass, I know you do.ā he paused not wanting to hear his voice crack. āI wanna think Iām smart. I had a great education, great tutors, the whole thing. This whole day though, you and Ava have made me feel like a mindless angry monster!ā
The prince quickly stood up, towering over Lorelei with, strangely, tears welling up in his eyes.
āThere hasnāt been a single day on this gods-forsaken planet where Iāve feltā¦in controlā¦and itās so fucking frustrating!ā Asch yelled while punching a hole in the mallās wall.
Lorelei flinched, but stood her ground. She got up and looked at Asch dead in the eyes. She tried to look as empathetic as possible because it really was how she felt. She didnāt want Asch to feel this way.
āI guess youāre right, Aschā¦I mean, you did get me out of that situation pretty quickly.ā She smiled, āYāknow you acted faster than any bodyguard Iāve had.ā
Aschās expression didnāt change. āWhatās the point if you donāt mean what you say?ā he questioned while furrowing his brows.
Lorelei was speechless while weighing her options. She didnāt know what to do. No matter if she doubled down or went back on what she said, Asch would still be mad at her.
āListen, I donāt think youāre dumb. Not at all! I promise that Iām just judging you off of your vibe. Yāknow?ā reassured Lorelei.
The prince looked away, and refused to give Lorelei the time of day. āSo I give guard dog vibes, huh? Someone whoās easy to take advantage of? Iām not weak, Iām not dumb, and Iām definitely not gonna let someone like Ava-ā
āOkay, but you ARE!ā exploded Lorelei. āI genuinely appreciate what you did for me back there! The fact youāre so willing to just do stuff for people is such a nice fact about you, but I need you to know that thereās somethingās you donāt understand about earth. Okay?!ā
It was Aschās turn to be taken aback. His eyes widened when he looked towards the brunette, but it seemed the sad emotion that once covered his face was now gone. It was instead replaced by surprise, and thankfully, a bit of understanding.
Lorelei took a small deep breath. āDonāt take this as me saying you shouldnāt trust Ava. Sheās my fr- I meanā¦my queen. Justā¦question stuff more often, okay?ā
Asch softened his expression and let a smile creep up on the corners of his lips. āOf course, Lady Loreleiā¦ā
āBingo!ā exclaimed Ava, āWe found him!ā
The ravenette pointed at Pierce in the video game aisle staring at some type of poster. His ears perked up just a bit and he looked over at her direction.
Rhys turned the cart sideways and used the conflicting direction of the wheels plus his foot to act as a drift. He stopped only inches away from Pierce, who didnāt flinch even a tiny bit.
āHey Rhys, Queen Ava, look at this posterā¦ā he said while still looking at the poster. Ava obliged to his request, but the advisor was more than a bit hesitant.
āPierce, we really donāt have the time at the moment. Leif and Noi are acting like animals here, and youāre the only person theyāll listen to!ā he explained, but Pierce seemed to have silently dismissed him.
Rhys did a facepalm and decided to humor the general for at least a few seconds. He almost immediately regretted it, seeing a sight that was way too provocative and obscene for anything public.
āHer breasts are just soā¦largeā¦that has to be uncomfortable.ā said Pierce referring to a character on the poster he was staring at.
āThatās kinda how the cookie crumbles with things like these. Oh! Lemme teach you guys something! So, thereās this thing called a waifu and this girl-ā
Rhys groaned into his hands, āWeāre getting off track!ā he yelled.
Both Ava and Pierce were startled by the advisorās sudden outburst and took a step away from him. Despite the new distance, Ava could feel how cold Rhys was becoming. She was sure if she were to touch him, her hand would immediately freeze.
āRhys, calm downā¦ā said Pierce while reaching out to him. The advisor made a point to slap his hand away which made the general furrow his brows at him.
āWe donāt have the time to look at how humans portray women! Itād be an excellent study for later, sure, but right now we have to take care of the madmen that are running about this market!ā fumed Rhys.
Almost as if they were summoned, Leif and Noi whizzed by the three. They drifted into another aisle while the assassin shot up a middle finger towards them.
Pierce exhaled out his nose as a laugh and went to grab the handle of the cart. āI guess we should catch them. Get in the cart.ā
Rhys and Ava looked at each other with confusion. āI donāt know manā¦I think me and Rhys would be too heavy for it.ā
āIām gonna throw you both over to them and then Rhys will get out and start steering. Itās simple.ā explained the general while shrugging.
The advisor made a face, but after Ava agreed, he decided to not protest.
Pierce made a running start and got on the side of the cart while it was still going. He grabbed the side and spun around. The cart, Ava, Rhys, and him were all a fast moving blur thatād make anyone barf.
Eventually, the general let go of the cart in the direction Leif and Noi went, and sent it flying. Ava screamed in both excitement and fear and held on tight to Rhys who held on back.
They landed right in front of the assassin and the ginger, who were forced to take a full stop. The advisor quickly hopped out of the cart and turned it over to the two.
āOh, youāve gotta be kidding me!ā complained Leif while turning around. Pierce appeared to stop him right in his tracks.
Leif scoffed, āDonāt be a party pooper, Pierce. Get outta the way real quick. Please?ā he laughed nervously.
āYouāre making us way more noticeable than needed.ā he stated. Despite being simple, his words had a bit of power to it that made Noi immediately concede.
āM-Maybe we should give up Leifā¦ā he cautioned, but the assassin had different ideas.
āNoi you have to have some authority! Some grit! Some self value! Yāknow?ā lectured Leif. āStand up man! Have guts! You really gonna let him boss you around like that?ā
Noi looked down at his hands. They shook slightly as his eyes hardened. āMaybe..? Iām not sure.ā
The ginger looked puzzled looking between Pierce and Leif. The blanchette yelled a few insults at the general who continued to look at them disapprovingly.
Leif was right but at the same time he wasnāt. Noi should stand his ground, but this was Pierce. Someone whoās not only ten times stronger than him, but someone he looked up to.
He wanted to have fun while he was on earth, yet that idea came at the cost of maybe sacrificing the mission. Or was it? No, it wasnāt. Yes, it was.
Yes and noās filled his head until it was hard for him to weigh his options. If he canāt think, he couldnāt do anything, and if he canāt do anything, he canāt make Leif or Pierce happy.
āNoi, didnāt you want to be my knight or whatever?ā piped up Ava. āWell, Iām ordering you to listen to Pierce! Please?ā
Noi looked at Ava and his expression softened. How could he forget? Something that he wanted to use as a chance to closer to the girl was wasted messing around with Leif.
The ginger shot him a look and formed his bow. He had to have been controlling him in someway. Why else would he forget everything to try to make the Daemon happy?
āWoah, man! Chill out, I didnāt mean that!ā blurted Ava while trying to get out of the cart.
Before things could get worse, a few quick footsteps could be heard coming towards the five. They all looked for the source of it until a short employee popped out of the corner.
āYou!ā they shouted, āGet out of this store! Youāve caused way too much commotion!ā
A worker who was taller than the other appeared beside them. Ava recognized them as the one they saw when she was debating about getting the Lil Deb Cakes.
Now that sheās getting a good look at them, she could notice how piercingly green their eyes were. Their hair was also pitch black too, itās like whoever colored him put every color on max contrast. Not only that, they had a scar going across one of their eyes. Despite this, they werenāt ugly. Not at all.
Ava could see Noi forming his bow back into his hand and Leif sped off with him in the other direction. Rhys groaned in frustration, but followed their example with Ava still in the cart and Pierce running closely behind.
āWha-?! Hey! Get back here! I need to report you to the manager!ā yelled the shorter employee while chasing them down. The taller one behind them followed.
The four Daemons and Ava sped all across Floormart to get out of there. They passed by a few employees and Ava forced Rhys to make a quick stop by the cash register.
āQueen Ava, surely you can simply apologize and pay for this later?ā rushed Rhys. āOr maybe, and this is just an ideaā¦leave it?ā
āOh, donāt get all snarky like Leif! Ugh!ā snapped Ava while fumbling around with the different groceries.
Say what you will about job hopping, but it really does teach you a few tricks. Avaās multiple grocery store jobs really helped out with quickly scanning these groceries.
The taller employee sped around the corner which prompted Rhys to lift Ava and shove her back in the cart. The girl made quite a bit of protest, but eventually gave up as she haphazardly threw money at the cash register.
Everyone burst through the doors of the Floormart and started speeding all across the mall. It proved to be way more difficult trying to dodge people, but Leif and Noi still decided to use the cart and simply took more complicated routes. Rhys, Ava, and Pierce all decided to escape on foot, easily passing through the crowds.
Ava looked around for any sign of Lorelei or Asch. They needed to get out of the mall, but she couldnāt just leave either of them to rot. Especially when the other guys might ask where Asch went in the first place.
If Lady Luck had hated Ava, she mightāve had a change of heart right now, as she saw both the brunette and the prince waiting by the entrance.
Lorelei looked up and her face immediately lightened up. āAva! Weāve been looking for you guys!ā she chirped. āGot us a Zuber, since Iām pretty sure weāre all tired right now!ā
āYeah, yeah, yeah, we need to go! Now!ā rushed Ava while pushing aside the two.
Both Lorelei and Asch were very confused when everyone bulldozed over them until they saw the particular two employees running towards them. They both panicked a bit before following the rest outside to their perfectly timed Zuber.
Everyone shoved and pushed each other into the car with a very confused driver. āIs uhā¦everyone doing alright?ā they asked.
āI promise Iāll tip you really good, just drive to the Serene Apartment Complex!ā urged Lorelei while banging in the seat.
The driver listened and floored it. They drifted towards the road and speeded to their destination.
There was a bit of silence accompanied by heavy breathing, which everyone had to admit was a nice change of pace. No one even tried to make a conversation, whether it be because they were tired or there was nothing good to talk about.
It wasnāt uncomfortable though, at least for the seven. It was rather peaceful. More peaceful than itās ever been for the past few days. They all kinda liked it.
A few hours after everyone went to relax, Lorelei stood up in front of everyone with a giddy expression. Her eyes sparkled even when everyone complained slightly that she was blocking the TV.
āAva! There was something I wanted to tell you! Iām really sorry I made you wait so long, but-ā
āCan this wait a bit after this part?ā interrupted Ava while trying to look around Lorelei.
Lorelei pouted, but obliged and moved a bit to the left. She cleared her throat and put out her hand looking expectedly at Ava.
The shorterās attention was taken up mostly by the TV, but she did happen to notice whatever Lorelei wanted her to look at glistened slightly in the dark. She completely stopped watching the movie to pay attention to the sparkly ring that looked beautiful on the brunette.
It couldnāt be. Thereās no way.
āYouā¦you got engaged..?ā questioned Ava.
Lorelei squealed, āYes! O-M-G Ava, you donāt know how happy I was when he proposed.ā She looked up, remembering when she got home from helping Ava with her dads.
Ava tried to hide her disappointment. āOh! Uhā¦why didnāt you tell me earlier?ā
Lorelei sat on the couch next to the shorter. āMe and Jake were focused on our families and stuff! By the time I wanted to tell you, you were in your two day long sleep thing.ā
Only the TV dared to make any noise as silence deafened everyoneās ears. The Daemons were confused about what a āproposalā was, but it seemed to be something that made Ava uncomfortable.
āWhatās wrong?ā asked Lorelei, unknowingly making her ring painfully noticeable
āItās justā¦I thought we were gonnaā¦have like a joint marriage or something!ā Ava lied. āBoth our special days with our special guysā¦ā
The brunetteās eyes dulled slightly and she looked away from Ava. āTh-That was years ago Avaā¦plus for us to actually do that we both gotta find someoneā¦ā
They both stayed silent until Ava piped up with a quiet āMaybe if we were still togetherā¦ā
Lorelei quickly stood up and stormed towards the door. The ravenette chased her down and tried to stop her at the door.
āI thought youād be happy for me! Not jealous!ā exploded Lorelei while pushing Ava.
āI am happy! Itās justā¦well you canāt expect a response you want from your ex right?ā reasoned the shorter trying her best to not have the brunette leave.
Tears started to well up in Loreleiās eyes. āWhen we broke up, you were the one who still wanted to be friends! You were the one who said we didnāt have to think about the fact that weāre exes! You were the one who promised to be happy for me and Jake!ā fumed Lorelei.
Once again, both of them were silent as tears flowed down the brunetteās cheeks. She furrowed her brows and slammed the door in Avaās face. The ravenette scoffed and stomped to her room, slamming that door shut.
The guys were left all alone. Even if getting to this point was uncomfortable, they still wanted to be alone anyways. Pierce turned the TV up as they all transferred to the back part of the kitchen. Noi turned on the microwave for about 30 minutes to create a little extra noise and act as a timer.
Theyāve been having these little meetings ever since they figured Ava wouldnāt wake up for a bit. They usually talked about saving the little food they had left or something new they discovered about earth. Now that the food issue was subdued, they figured talking about new earth discoverings was the way to go.
Pierce stared at Noi and Leif disapprovingly. āI feel you two should say something.ā he said sternly.
The assassin looked down at his feet. āWeāre sorryā¦or whateverā¦ā he grumbled.
The ginger stayed silent while looking everywhere but at the general. Pierce got in Noiās face and furrowed his brows even more.
āForming your bow in a public place is inappropriate, Noi. Any human couldāve seen that.ā he chastised.
Noi finally looked at Pierce, āIā¦kinda thought youād be way more madā¦unless youāre fuming! Th-Then Iām totally scared and-ā
āIām not mad, just disappointed.ā revealed Pierce while the ginger let out a heartbroken whimper. āRhys is pissed though.ā
Both Noi and Leif cursed under their breath as the general handed the floor to the advisor who looked very displeased. He started to massage his temples, which at this point mightāve been for comfort rather than healing a headache, and started his first behavioral speech out of many.
āNot only did you two make absolute fools of yourselves, everyone had to chase after you like you were children!ā condemned Rhys.
Leif rolled his eyes, āDude, we get it, we goofed around too much, big deal. Iām tired, youāre tired, weāre all tired! Surely we can just go to sleep and leave all this behind us, right?ā he pleaded.
Rhys pinched the bridge of his nose, āMy gods, you are so incompetent!ā he lashed. āAll youāve been doing is sleeping, complaining, and eating these days! The least you couldāve done today is do what youāve been doing!ā
Leif clinched his fists and began to cook up an insult, but Rhys continued his attack. āO, but of course! You canāt be useful even when you can be! You just have to be an inconvenience!ā
āOh, look Iām Rhys!ā mocked Leif, āIām so high and mighty and healthy, that I canāt just fathom that maybe, just maybe, Daemons can feel shitty!ā
āFeeling that way is an explanation!ā retorted Rhys. āItās fine to feel this way, but whatās not okay is to do fuck all about it!ā
āIf I want to wallow, let me wallow! Who does it hurt? No one! No one but myself, and I think thatās perfectly fine!ā
āHow in the godsā names can you say that when so many Daemons have died because of the fact that thereās no magic!ā exploded the advisor. āThere are so many back in Chikara, and every other kingdom at that, unknowingly depending on us! Donāt tell me that youāre hurting no one by not trying!ā
Leif rolled his eyes, āWell whatāve you been doing?! I donāt remember you doing much about how you canāt see for shit!ā
Rhysā eyes widened, āHowā¦how did you-ā
āOh, you better not widen them peepers! Or else youād have to hold my hand like a little blind baby!ā said Leif sarcastically.
The two stared at each other for a few moments before Asch cleared his throat. āI actually have a quick announcement about the mission. Me and Pierce technically.ā
Both Daemons glared at him before backing away from each other. Asch took a look at the time they had left. 15 minutes. It was the perfect amount of time to explained what they learned.
āPierce and I think we have enough evidence to say thatā¦ā he hesitated, āQueen Ava might not be a Queen at all.ā
Everything seemed to have paused right in that moment. The mere idea that Ava mightāve been lying to them this whole time about something so important. How else could magic be harvested? How else could Daemons rule earth? And most importantlyā¦
What else could she be lying about?
This took foreveerrrrrrr ughhhhh im glad itās done tho. I really hope you enjoyed it! Thisāll be the last episode to be on tumblr, the rest will be on ao3 which is pretty cool n stuffs! If you have any idea on how I should tag this fic thatād be appreciated š I donāt have much to yap about so byeee!
