Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Crossing the honmoon can be a tricky process. Firstly, Rumi has to wait for the honmoon to weaken in a spot. Secondly, she has to be physically strong enough to cross it. Lastly, she has to time the crossing, and make sure no one knows about it.

Tugging the hoodie closer over her head, she watches as the honmoon pulses with pink, indicating a weak spot is going to open. It's at the very edges of the demon realm, a place Rumi specifically chose. She creeps through the decrepit houses laying abandoned and pauses by the porch of one, watching and waiting, body tensed with anticipation.

There's a zing of sound, and she knows it's almost open. She can't mess this up. If she does, who knows when the next opportune spot will open- she's been waiting for this one for years. She'll be stuck here, with her, if she doesn't leave now.

The honmoon pulses with a big enough spot that Rumi could work it open more to fit her. She dashes forward, feet kicking up dust, building enough speed to dive through like she's trying to break through a brick wall. She slips through the honmoon, time and space contorting around her.

She swears she can hear the voices of all of the previous hunters around her, talking over each other, laughing, screaming, singing. There's a cold jelly like feeling around her, and she can feel it pressing too tightly on her skin. Her eyes are shut to protect them from being damaged by the honmoon, but she rips ahead with her claws, forcing the barrier to birth her forward.

Within seconds but what feels like hours, she is ejected and hits the ground. She slowly opens her eyes, taking in the human world around her. She breathes in deeply, the scent of sulfur and despair replaced by the putrid scent of dumpsters rotting in hot heat and beer spilled on the ground. It's louder here, the ever present sound of flames and pained howling replaced by the honking of distant cars, a dog barking, TV's blaring show programs.

The rupture stays open behind her for a little bit before it slowly starts to close as Rumi examines her surroundings. It's been a while since she's last been here. She's missed the human world and all its peculiarities. But she'll be safe here.

Her eyes fall on the pop of color in the alleyway. She steps closer, nothing the poster slung up. Her eyes immediately go wide. She rips the poster off and squeals loudly. “No way! They made it big now?! And there's a concert, tonight?!”

Without another thought she teleports away into a cloud of pink dust.

She reappears inside the stadium, stealing a hat and pair of shades from the vendor without them noticing, as she marches up to find an empty seat. Her human disguise that she came here with makes her look like another fan, patterns covered up, but she could always use more merch. She snags one of those glow up wands that someone left on the counter as they struggle to pick up a tray filled with drinks.

The stadium is huge and easily packed. The stage rests empty, the Huntrix logo on the back.

Rumi won't be able to find a free seat; she knows the place is sold out. So she plops herself down into any unclaimed seat. She's having a hard time sitting still, bouncing her knees as she waits.

The guy whose seat she's taken comes back. She doesn't even let him argue her for it, snarling at him loudly like a lion, fangs bared. He lets out a yelp and backs off so quickly he almost falls down the stairs.

Rumi knows all about Zoey and Mira, the members of Huntrix. She's been a mega fan of them for years now. She also knows they're the new hunters of this generation. But without a third hunter, they've been unable to seal the honmoon, something the demons find great relief in.

However, despite it only being the two of them, they've managed to skyrocket to such fame that they've maintained the honmoon well enough. And who wouldn't love watching them or listening to their music?

Zoey is adorable, a spastic ball of energy that could rap with the fury of a thousand suns yet made Rumi want to squish her cheeks. Mira has killer dance moves and a killer attitude and is tall enough that Rumi wants to climb her.

The crowd around Rumi began to roar as the lights flared on. Rumi jumps to her feet, screaming at the top of her lungs. Music blares to life and smoke arises on the stage. When it clears Zoey and Mira are both there, standing back to back, their height difference endearing.

They launch into their first song and it doesn't take long for Rumi to figure out the lyrics even if she's never heard it before. As Rumi sings along, she can see the honmoon around her rippling with color, and as she belts out notes higher the honmoon ripples harder.

Up in a VIP section in a box, Celine is watching over the last show of the tour, glass of wine in her hand. Her eyes go wide when she notices the honmoon rippling stronger, that with the strength of another voice. She presses up against the glass, fogging it up as she scans the audience.

There's another huntress there, somewhere in the crowd.

She can't find her, but she can't afford to lose her.

She grabs her phone and makes a call, as she rushes from the box. “I need all security combing the crowds.” And if they couldn't find the girl in time, then Celine would have to have all the exits shut down to prevent anyone from leaving until they found her.

Celine weaves her way in and out of crowd, eyes searching with desperation, as the concert continues.

-

Rumi is still on a high after the concert ends, humming their new songs under her breath. She wonders how long she'll have in the human realm this time before she gets chased back. As the crowd clears out, Rumi sneaks her way into the backstage of the show, dodging around crew members who are already taking down the sets to make space for the next show tomorrow. They barely seem to pay her any mind especially since she's grabbed a face mask to wear and hunched up her shoulders to look like another miserable employee.

Rumi's hoping she can get an autograph or maybe a picture with them. She knows if they ever meet her on the battlefield that they'll chop her up into bits and send her back to the demon realm and she doesn't need that before they drop the new album they've been teasing.

She knows it's risky but sue her, she's a simple fan girl.

With a mega crush on both Zoey and Mira. She doesn't even care if they discover that she's a demon as long as she gets to at least see them up close, talk to them, hear their new album. Then they can chase her down and send her to hell for all she cares.

She'll find her way back to the human realm anyways.

She dips behind a piece of wall that had been used as a prop, trying to see where the star's rooms are. Maybe she should have brought flowers.

A throat clearing behind her makes her jump. She swirls on her heel and sees a middle aged woman in a suit behind her. Rumi would teleport away but this woman would see and Rumi doesn't want human's knowing. She'll have to give her the old slip.

“Oh, I work here-” Rumi's lies die on her tongue when Celine holds out a card.

Rumi takes it hesitantly. It's a talent management card. “It's come to my attention that you have a wonderful singing voice.”

Rumi genuinely doesn't know what to say to this or how this woman would have heard her voice. She keeps staring at Celine blankly.

“Come audition for us, we're looking for a third member for Huntrix.”

Is....is this woman saying what Rumi thinks she's saying???! She wants her to audition for Huntrix????

“I know it's rather sudden-”

“Hells yea!” Rumi cheers loudly.

Realistically, Rumi knows this is a very, very bad idea. She'll be auditioning for a group of hunters that will kill her the moment they find out who she is.

But she doesn't care. She'll get to work with Mira and Zoey if she manages to land this audition!

“When can I start?”

Celine is taken a back a little by her energy. “Oh, well, if you don't mind then today-”

Rumi rips off her human disguise to reveal a performance outfit underneath. “My body is ready. Bring me to Mira and Zoey.”

Chapter Text

2 years later

The stage for Huntrix's latest show is set up and ready, their name appearing on the stadium both outside and on the backdrop, thousands of fans waiting eagerly. Lights flash up high into the sky, a plane flying towards them.

On the plane are the trio, Mira and Zoey sitting on the couch of the luxury private plane, munching angrily on their pre-show and demon hunting snacks as they glare at the woman across from them. Rumi sits, legs crossed at the knee, observing her nails in faux boredom, food untouched.

She's hungry, but she'll be feasting on something else tonight.

Mira and Zoey quickly slurp up their meals, finishing up their ramen, and set the cups aside. They rise up to their feet and Rumi sighs, not even bothering to look up.

“Come on girls, we've been over this,” Rumi says, not the least bit worried. “It'd be a bad look for you if I don't show up for the show. You still need me to seal that honmoon, whether you like it or not.”

“Kpop stars are a dime a dozen nowadays,” Mira says, pulling out her woldo from thin air.

Zoey adds on, “We'll find someone new.”

Rumi flips over on the couch, landing behind it, as Mira's weapon slices down on where she would have been. Zoey fires off some throwing knives at Rumi who merely ducks and dodges as she runs towards the emergency exit.

“See you at the show,” she cheers and then yanks the door open. She drops out and Mira and Zoey follow after her without second thought. Zoey flings a few knives at Rumi but there's no way they even come close to hitting her as the air resistance knocks them askew.

Rumi crosses her arms behind her head, smiling at them smugly as they scowl at her. They attempt to make their bodies more aerodynamic by placing their hands by their sides and tucking their heads down.

The trio shoot across the sky and excited fans notice their arrival.

“It's them!” cheers one.

“They're skydiving onto the stage again!” cheers another as Rumi hits the stage first with a big bang of smoke and sound, Mira and Zoey landing after her.

“Good evening Seoul!” Rumi greets, somehow having changed into her performance outfit during the fall. She's wearing black and red, while Zoey and Mira emerge from the smoke in red and black solid outfits respectively. “Huntrix is here to blow you away! Thank you for joining us on our final leg of the tour!”

Mira and Zoey put on their performance faces, knowing they have no choice but to go through with the choreography and singing now.

Loud pop music plays, and they dutifully carry out the show routines. The fans go wild and cheer for them, and they can see the honmoon slowly turning gold at certain parts. Mira and Zoey stare at each other in excitement, though they're confused. How can the honmoon be turning gold with a demon singing as a hunter?

The show finishes and they head downstage, ready to take a long deserved break. Staff swarm them offering water, towels, snacks- even slippers and robes. Bobby joins them.

“Hey girls,” he calls out and they greet him back.

“Hey Bobby.” Ever since Celine found the third hunter, she's taken a bit of a back seat to their management and instead Bobby was the one who made sure they were taken care of now.

“Excellent show out there. The fans loved it!” He twirls around, producing three golden tickets. “As a thank you for all your hard work, I got you, a fully paid for spa experience for a week!” Bobby says. Mira and Zoey are about to turn it down in favor of couch, when Rumi eagerly snatches the ticket out of his hand.

“Oh man, an entire week to let my guard down. To eat and sleep as much as I want!”

Mira and Zoey exchange looks. A Rumi with her guard down? This could prove useful. Maybe this time, they'll be able to stab her. They take the tickets from him. “Thanks Bobby,” Zoey says, eyeing Rumi evilly. “We'll make good use of this. Very good.”

He misses the context of it, blowing them an air kiss. “Have fun girls.”

“Always did find stabbing and spas to be relaxing,” Mira murmurs darkly as they walk off.

-

The spa is inside a castle, retrofitted, clinging to the sides of a cliff. It's not very crowded, the price tag on the luxurious experience inside turning off many people with smaller bank accounts.

They each have their own suite- bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, and living room. These suites are bigger than some people's homes. They even have small indoor pools and jacuzzi's.

They leave their belongings in their rooms and put on the spa robes and slippers, branded with their names on them.

“You don't have to follow me around,” Rumi says as they walk two paces behind her.

“Oh we know, but we want to,” Zoey throws her best disarming smile at her.

“You're just going to try and hunt me,” Rumi says and while normally that's thrilling, she could use a bit of a break. She's never been to such a spa before.

“No, us?” Zoey places a hand to her chest in mock offense. “We would never.”

“Besides, we're on a break,” Mira adds deviously. “No demon hunting.”

Rumi hums, not fully convinced. She decides to give them the benefit of the doubt, only because she really does want to see them enjoying themselves, faces stress free, relaxed for once.

And naked.

Rumi heads over the sauna first. She misses the oppressive heat of the demon realm and this will make her feel like she's at home. She takes off her robe and grabs a towel, before sitting down to enjoy herself. Mira and Zoey do the same. They sit with some distance, each on their own bench.

They add more water to the rocks, producing more steam and heat in the sauna. It does nothing to Rumi, who only hums happily, not even breaking out in too much of a sweat.

Mira and Zoey have to leave the room, panting and gasping for air.

“Too hot,” Zoey waves a hand over herself.

“Damn it. I thought we could overheat her, get away with defeating her that way without her suspecting us,” Mira growls.

“Don't worry, they'll be plenty of opportunities left,” Zoey says.

They wait for Rumi to step out, re-hydrated and ready to try again.

“Mud bath?” Zoey suggests and the trio head over. They are given a room individually, the attendants milling about, filling the tubs, pampering them, and then leaving them to themselves with soft music playing. Rumi's eyes are closed, cucumbers laying over them. Zoey and Mira sneak into her room, having not at all gotten into their own tubs.

Mira is carrying a heavy bag on her back that Zoey slits the bottom off. Quiet, they pour the contents of the bag into the mud. Rumi feels it landing in her tub and figures it's just more mud being added. She relaxes further.

Mira and Zoey leave when done, snickering quietly to themselves.

Rumi holds still before her nose itches. She tries to move a hand to scratch it, but finds she can't move. Rumi opens an eye, blinking away the cucumber there. The mud bath turns out not to be mud, but cement. Quick, drying cement. She's stuck inside it, unable to move even a finger. Only her head sticks out.

“Did they get confused?” she wonders about the spa attendants, before she teleports herself out. “Weird.” She rubs the remaining mud and cement off of her body with a towel.

Next up is a sensory deprivation tank. Rumi gets into hers with only a bikini on. The attendants had warned her that sometimes these tanks could lead to vivid hallucinations from the brain freaking out when it had a lack of sensation.

She wonders if that would mean she'd hallucinate Mira and Zoey kissing her. Chuckling warmly to herself she laid down, eager to see visions.

Thirty minutes into the experience Rumi has fallen asleep to thoughts of her bandmates. Mira and Zoey sneak into the room. The tank is heavier than expected but they manage to prop it up.

They push the sensory deprivation tank out the window and watch as it slides down the mountainside, knocking down trees and such as it goes. Rumi is bounced around inside, water splashing.

“Whoa, this is a very strong hallucination,” Rumi cries out, her stomach dipping as the tank drops off the cliff into the water below with a splash. It sinks down and down, getting sucked up into a pipe that takes water into the spa.

Mira and Zoey look at each other satisfied as they see that the tank has submerged. “Enjoy going back to hell,” Mira says.

“Drinks to celebrate?” Zoey asks.

The pipe spits Rumi back out into one of the underground facilities of the spa. It jostles to a hard stop and she opens up the lid. She blinks when she finds herself elsewhere. “Oh, so maybe it wasn't a hallucination.” She wonders how the hell she got all the way down here, and figures that maybe someone had mistakenly taken her tank for a cleaning. She teleports back to her room.

The next morning, Zoey and Mira step out of their room, having had a great night of sleep, only to see Rumi standing by, waiting for them. “So, you still wanna do spa stuff together?” she asks eagerly.

Mira's and Zoey's faces drop but they quickly fix them up.

“Sure,” Mira says stiffly, wondering how Rumi survived.

They end up going to the pool, and Rumi gushes as she sees them in two piece swimsuits. Zoey is wearing a cute one with turtles on it, in green and blue, while Mira wears a red one, cut maturely. They look so good, they almost seem to sparkle. There's so much skin on display- long legs, toned muscle, the teasing edges of boobs. Rumi stares and stares as she watches them descend into the pool. She stares so hard she doesn't see the edge of the pool right next to her. She missteps, falls so hard she hits her chin, and then falls into the pool.

“Oh? Did she...did she do our job for us?” Zoey asks, confused. Rumi floats face down in the pool, blood streaming around her.

“Well, I don't want to swim with a dead body in the pool,” Mira cringes.

“You've swam in the ocean before.”

“And?”

“Do you know how many dead bodies have been there,” Zoey points out.

Mira pulls a face. “Why would you tell me that. Now I can't go back there!”

“How would you not know such a thing,” Zoey argues back as they both leave the pool.

-

Rumi comes back from the spa trip, glowing. Mira and Zoey next to her look the exact opposite.

“How did she get out of every indirect murder attempt?” Mira grinds her teeth as she whispers to Zoey. They had spent all week, trying. Spending all their energy on scheming in ways that didn't look like scheming. The two watch Rumi humming happily, braid swaying behind her as she walks ahead.

Zoey holds up two knives. “Back to regular murder it is.”

Chapter Text

“Celine, Rumi is a demon,” Zoey whines into the phone and Celine sighs silently, swivels in her chair and marks down on her whiteboard a line next to the tallies of 'days this week they have complained about Rumi being a demon'. The board is almost entirely filled with red marks.

“Zoey it is six in the morning. I just got to work.”

“It's never too early to report a demon.”

“Zoey, we've been over this.”

“Yes! I know!” Zoey says with mild frustration. “I've reported her tons of times and HR has done nothing about it.”

“Kpop industries don't have HR.”

“Then what are you?”

Celina hangs up. She pinches her brow and puts her phone on do not disturb. They've been complaining about Rumi being a demon since the start. Celine knows Mira and Zoey have been used to being a duo, but they needed a trio to seal the honmoon and Rumi was insanely popular with the fans.

Celine sighs and turns to her computer to pretend to answer emails.

“Nothing,” Zoey says in frustration, throwing her phone at the wall where it lodged itself and stuck. The wall is littered with several phones in similar positions. “Celine still doesn't believe us.”

“Then maybe we have to prove it to her that Rumi is a demon if she doesn't believe us. All she has is our word and if our word isn't good enough...” Mira trails off.

“How did Rumi even get past the screening process?” Zoey wonders. “Celine used to be a hunter too. How did she not notice Rumi?”

“Maybe she's lost her edge. I saw that woman laugh at a bent staple once,” Mira says.

“Alright, so proof,” Zoey says, trying to think up how to best prove Rumi's status, drumming her fingers together. 

“Easiest way is to stab her and when she disappears back into the demon realm, we have proof she was a demon,” Mira says.

“We've been trying to stab her for so long,” Zoey sighs out, flopping back onto her bed. “She always evades it, somehow.”

“She's different from the other demon's we've fought,” Mira concedes.

“She still has her patterns. And she's got fangs that show up. And then that glowy eye thing she does when she doesn't think we're looking.”

“We get her to reveal those and then snap photos so Celine has proof.”

“Should be easy,” Zoey says, nodding her head.

-

“I think I dropped something under my bed,” Zoey says. “Could you look for it?”

“Don't you have a flashlight on your phone,” Rumi points out.

“Ah, but maybe I just want to look at your ass while you're bent over,” Zoey lies, making Rumi instantly perk up.

“Got it!” Her one eye flashes gold, like a spotlight and then she bends over to look under Zoey's bed. Zoey props up her phone, waiting for the right time to take the photo. Rumi looks under the bed, but can't find anything but discarded funko pops and some lewd manhwas that Zoey entirely forgot.

“OH, what's this!” Rumi asks, like someone that has something juicy to chew on. “Half naked ninjas kidnap the shogun's heiress-”

Zoey yelps in horror and embarrassment. “Those aren't mine! They're uh, they're a friends. I'm just safe keeping them!”

“Lusty barbarians ransom the king's daughter-” Rumi continues and Zoey drops to her knees to yank Rumi out from under her bed, but not before Rumi snags one more book. “Devilish criminals capture the mafia princess-”

“STOP!” Zoey howls out, face red with embarrassment. She wrestles the books from Rumi who is laughing too hard to hold onto them. “This isn't funny! It's not mine!”

“Something tells me you wanna get taken hostage and held against your will,” Rumi's chuckles die down, as she sits up, face close to Zoey's. She strokes a hand down her blazing hot cheek. “Would it excite you if a demon happened to sneak into your room and take you away so they could ransom you?” she asks suggestively, eyes dropping down to Zoey's lips.

Zoey's face turns bright red, a red that Rumi didn't think was humanely possible.

“I-I-I-!” Zoey can't even speak and Rumi's chuckle is low and dark. Who knew the human was into such things.

“Yes?” she purrs.

Zoey headbutts Rumi so hard she temporarily dazes her. Then Zoey is storming off and Rumi holds the bump on her head, scowling.

-

“I made you food,” Mira says when Rumi comes into the kitchen to get some ice for the bump that is now forming on her head. She might have faster healing but she didn't want to walk around with a giant mark in the middle of her forehead.

“Food?” Rumi blinks, eyes back to normal. “The last time you cooked for me you doused everything in holy water. I was on the toilet for a week.”

“No holy water this time.”

“Really?”

“Only extra ingredients in this are my.....love,” Mira swallows down a gag at saying that.

Rumi is hungry, and it's nice that her bandmate is offering her food. Maybe Mira and Zoey are warming up to her. Rumi eagerly sits down to eat. Or she tries to.

“This steak is...very tough,” Rumi says, glancing in dismay as the fork and knife break on the meat. It's very well done.

“You have fangs. Just use those to cut through the meat,” Mira offers. Rumi picks the steak up with her hands. She opens her mouth wide and Mira subtly pulls out her phone to take a picture as Rumi's fangs extend- the giant curving ones and not her usual sharp canines.

Rumi bites down with all her might. The steak shoots out of Rumi's hands and mouth and hits Mira's phone, sending it flying to the floor where it breaks.

“Damn,” Mira mutters. The steak, meanwhile, is unharmed. 

-

“Come to the bathhouse with us Rumi,” Mira says.

“Yea, come with us.” Zoey sways back and forth on her feet.

“We want to uh, show you our boobs and stuff,” Mira adds on in a stiff voice.

“Really???” Rumi exclaims, happy for some skinship with the girls. They've never invited her to join before!

“Really,” they say deadpan.

They head out to the local bathhouse, reserving the entire one for themselves. They head into the water tub first, hair in towels, weapons and camera hidden under a stack of nearby towels. They've never been with Rumi because demon, duh.

Their other two attempts to get proof of her demon nature have failed, but they're certain they can get this one. Rumi shows up, bare feet padding up to the tub.

They've never actually seen Rumi naked. Sure, they've seen glimpses of her abs when she wears a crop top, seen the way her thighs and biceps bulge under her clothes when she fights. But they've never seen all of it put together on one body. It's only for a split second, as Rumi sinks into the bathwater to join them, but it's enough.

Their jaws drop open and Zoey's phone (Mira's is in the shop getting fixed from being pelted by meat at 60 miles an hour) slips from her grip into the water where the battery dies.

“Damn,” Zoey breathes under her breath. Now they're both out of a phone.

Rumi sighs and settles comfortably under the water. “This is so nice. Thanks for inviting me along.”

Mira and Zoey grumble but don't reply, Rumi's patterns glowing softly and creating mood lighting for them.

Chapter Text

“I've been ruined,” Zoey whines to herself, squeezing her pillow tight to her chest. Ever since Rumi saw her stash and made that comment, Zoey can't help but contemplate what a situation like that would look like. With Rumi, her enemy, tying her up and taking her back to the demon realm where Zoey would be forced to get to know her and fall in love with her despite the captivity, just like the plot of all of those books.

She shakes her head. No, she has to focus herself. This was a demon technique to get her to lower her guard. They couldn't afford to lose to Rumi. In fact, Zoey would rectify this right now. She kicks down the door to Rumi's room, finding the demon gaming at her computer.

“Oh, hey,” Rumi greets lazily.

Zoey's knives shine through the air into her hands. Rumi perks up, like a dog about to go a on a walk. “Is it hunting time?” she asks. “Where are the demons?”

“Sitting on their lazy ass in front of the computer,” Zoey says and throws two knives at Rumi. Rumi's excitement only grows and she ducks out of the way. One knife lodges into her chair, the other into her screen.

“Hey! I didn't even get to save my game.”

“Better focus on saving your own hide,” Zoey threatens and runs at Rumi.

Rumi jumps out the window, breaking through the glass. Zoey follows, landing on a rooftop below. They race from building to building, jumping, weaving, bobbing. Rumi evades all of the knife throws, whooping loudly in glee.

Rumi startles when a cat that had been hiding under one of the vents darts in front of her, startled by her loud running. She stumbles, losing her footing for a bit. This let's Zoey get in close, her knives flying through the air and pining Rumi to a tall vent with a pinging sound.

The knife misses skin and only catches the fabric of her hoodie. Rumi yanks it free but Zoey is there within seconds in front of her, knife held out to Rumi's face.

As Zoey watches, Rumi, licks her tongue against Zoey's knife. Then she grabs her wrist and pulls the weapon up to her neck, entirely unbothered. “Go ahead. Cut me,” she insists. Zoey's mouth dries out.

This is just like one of those scenes where the kidnapped heroine fights back against her captor, only to realize they couldn't hurt them. Zoey lets out a cry of agony and digs the heels of her palms into her eyes. Why can't she get those damned books out of her head???!

“Are you alright?” Rumi asks. “Did the wind blow some debris in your eyes. Here, I can help blow it out.” Rumi pulls Zoey's hands from her eyes gently, peering into them. She's too close, so close Zoey can see the lashes and count them. “I don't see anything,” Rumi hums.

“Ugh, let go!” Zoey pulls away, pulling up a blade to create space between them. She holds it up to Rumi's chest.

“I'd prefer if you didn't stab my tit,” Rumi says. “I like them and it'd be such a pain if my tit heals wrong and then it's lopsided. Need them even so each of you girls can grab a nice handful-”

“You're so crass!” Zoey cries out, annoyed. Her knives go flying and Rumi wiggles around to dodge them at this close range.

“I've never hidden that I'm entirely in love with both of you,” Rumi says as she ducks and backs up from Zoey, never making a move to strike her. She never does with either of them, unless she's backed into a corner. “Even if you try to kill me each day. It hurts my feelings a little bit you know. Maybe you could try every other day. Or maybe on weekends only?”

“Why don't you give up?” Zoey switches to hand to hand, trying to land a grapple hold on Rumi who blocks her attacks with her elbows. She's getting closer to a wall, steadily pushed back by Zoey. “Why do you keep loving us when we hate you.”

“I'm not...sure,” Rumi laughs. “I guess you were the band that held me together during my toughest of times. And there's something special about that.”

Rumi's back is against the wall now and both of them are panting hard. 

“And also maybe because I'm hoping that one day, you'll be able to finally like me back too. Not even romantically, just....as a friend. That maybe you can see that I actually want to help seal the honmoon. That not all demons are bad. That I am enough.”

Zoey pauses. Rumi's words hit something inside her. 'That I am enough'. How many times has Zoey felt that way. Like she's not enough for the people around her so she has to do more and more until she is? Until that need to have everyone love her is satisfied? Except it never is because the hole demanding affection and validation grows bigger inside her each year. Makes her need to prove herself more to be who she wants.

Her distraction let's Rumi retaliate. She grabs Zoey and spins her around, kicking out her legs under her. Rumi has her pinned to the ground with an arm bar, twisting Zoey's wrist enough to hold her down but not enough to hurt. She lowers her voice to Zoey's ear. “Got you,” she purrs. “Trapped under me.”

Her strong form presses down into Zoey and Zoey tries very hard not to think about how this is a scene like from her mafia-

She cuts herself off as she blushes.

“Everything you said was to distract me,” Zoey spits out, annoyed.

“No, I stand by what I said,” Rumi responds. Then she leans off of Zoey and teleports back to the penthouse.

Zoey sits up, rubbing her arm. This night didn't end the way it was supposed to. Now Zoey is only questioning herself.

-

They have a fan sign event the following day. Normally Zoey would be excited for this, but she can't get Rumi's comments or her actions out of her head.

“You alright?” Mira notices, bumping her hip into Zoey's.

“Fine. Just didn't sleep well last night,” Zoey says, trying to wave off Mira's concern.

“I was trying to come up with ideas on how to expose Rumi. If there was some way we could get the fans to see during the signing, it would go on the news. Then Celine would have to see it and take Rumi off the team.”

“We've tried defeating Rumi during the shows,” Zoey says.

“She uses the cover of choreo and special effects to get away with it,” Mira replies as they wait for the table to be set up. Rumi is chatting with Bobby up ahead. “At a sign event, if she slips up, she doesn't have a way to cover it.”

“I'm not sure,” Zoey says. “The fans- I don't want them to get caught in between.”

“They won't,” Mira says. “We just need to get Rumi...fired up, and she'll embarrass herself all on her own.”

“What do you mean?” Zoey asks.

Mira smirks deviously at her. “Let me handle this. You just watch.”

Table all set up, the trio take their places, stacks of posters next to them and pens at the ready. Rumi sits in the middle as usual, smile wide.

“I can't wait to see the fans,” she grins. “I hope they didn't have to wait too long for us outside.”

The doors open and the crowd swarms in. Most make a beeline right for Rumi, trying to chat with her. It makes sense that she's the most popular as a leader. It does sting a little though, that not only is she a demon but she is also a latecomer who has made their group immensely more popular than they used to be. Mira waits a few minutes, signs a few posters, her fans knowing better than to engage her in long conversations. She's not the spice queen without reason. Then she strikes.

Rumi thinks nothing of it at first. Mira might have just adjusted her footing. Accidentally brushed up against her.

But then it happens again. And again. Mira's thigh pressing into hers, her foot running up her shin. Rumi begins to stutter, losing her train of thought as she talks to fans and pretends she doesn't notice what Mira is doing.

Shit, if Mira keeps this up, she's going to flash her patterns. She's hidden them for now under her clothes but if her facial ones glow she'll have a hard time hiding them. She tries to move away, Mira only moves closer.

Rumi digs her fingers into Mira's thigh in warning under the table, causing Mira to reflexively stomp on Rumi's foot.

Rumi yelps and bangs her knee under the table. It nearly unsettles the entire table, posters sliding almost off. “Sorry,” she rubs the back of her head sheepishly at her fans. “Accidentally hit my knee.”

They chuckle at her, finding her cute.

Mira scowls. She needs to redouble her efforts. This time she places her hand on Rumi's thigh, slowly inching it upwards. Rumi is boiling inside, starting to sweat as she holds back her patterns reactions with all her might. What has gotten into Mira today? Why is she so flirty?

Normally Rumi would be more than happy to indulge but they're out in public! “Excuse me!” she squeaks out. “Bathroom!” she gets up and quickly walks there. When she gets there she closes the door, sighing heavily. Her cheeks are flushed and thankfully she's been able to control the patterns for now.

Demons don't have this many issues with their marks glowing, but because of how different Rumi is from them, hers react differently. They tend to light up when she feels things really strongly. And her heart is hammering in her chest from Mira's touches, remembering the way her hand whispered up her thigh, the way her leg rubbed against her shin.

The door swings open behind her and Mira strides in. “What's wrong, Rumi?” Hands on hips she looks over at Rumi. “Patterns about to show?”

Rumi immediately perks up, turning around to face Mira as she sits down on the sink and spreads her legs. “You can take me against the sink, just quickly,” Rumi says, “Don't want the fans to wait too long.”

Mira's eyes go wide and her cheeks lightly flush. “Whoa who said I was- I'm not here for-”

“But you were all up on me, Mira. So bold and handsy,” Rumi blinks. She slinks off the sink, sliding up to Mira, her voice a low purr. “I thought you wanted to ravage me like a savage.” Her fingers tip toe up Mira's shirt front and Mira has to swat the hand away.

“You're a demon, there's no way in hell I would ever want to sleep with you!”

“Whelp!” Rumi pops the sound in her mouth, back to her normal voice, “if you ever change your mind you know where to find me.”

She walks past Mira to go back outside and Mira stares after her. Mira still wants to expose Rumi's demon nature but Rumi flirting back with her has taken the wind out of her sails for a bit. Rumi can seem unassuming, but when she turns her charms up, it's almost as if there's some....magic honeying her words.

They make Mira's head feel a bit thick at times. Make her slip up for a few seconds.

Mira scowls. Resisting Rumi's flirtatious actions didn't use to be a problem beforehand but now its like the years have chipped at her invulnerability to them. This is all the demon's fault! She is specifically weathering them down. She needs to be dealt with and quick.

Mira needs to make a foolproof plan to stop her once and for all. She tosses her shoulders back and walks out to rejoin the signing event, leaving Rumi alone for now.

When Mira sees the social media feeds the next morning, she lets out a groan and flops her head into the pillow. Someone had snapped a photo of her and Rumi playing footsie under the table because the table cloth hadn't been long enough. It was doing the rounds online and people were speculating about their relationship status.

Zoey bursts into her room, phone with the accursed photo in her hand. “Mira, explain.”

“No.”

Chapter Text

It is cowardly to attack an enemy when they have their back turned to you. Or when they are asleep. Yet that's what Zoey and Mira find themselves having to resort to. They creep into Rumi's room, spotting her sleeping form with it's back to them. Mira and Zoey raise their weapons, and then plunge them into Rumi's back. They are greeted by an explosion of feathers.

Zoey tosses back the covers. A bunch of pillows have been shoved under.

“Looking for me?” Rumi asks where she sits perched on the window sill.

“Get her!” Zoey cries out and throws her knives at Rumi who lets herself fall backwards. The duo follow after her, as they begin a familiar chase through the rooftops. The moon is high in the sky, illuminating their chase. Rumi swerves and takes them all over the place, leading towards the outskirts. They're beginning to lose stamina despite their strength because they've been running for over half an hour. Eventually, Rumi drops down from a roof and runs into the woods at the edge.

Mira and Zoey follow, this time more cautiously. Their eyes are weaker against the dark, but their weapons glow to light their way. They follow the rustle of leaves, catching the tail end of Rumi's braid. It leads them to an open clearing.

Mira and Zoey stop and look at the items spread out before them. There's a picnic blanket and what looks like a wicker basket full of food, a wine bottle stood nearby.

Zoey's eyes sparkle when she smells the scent of something delicious. Mira yanks her back by the collar. “It's a trap.”

“No, it's a picnic,” Rumi says, materializing from behind a tree. She plops down and uncorks the wine bottle by sticking her fang into the cork and yanking it. She spits the cork out and offers the bottle out. “Wine? It's red.”

“The only red being poured here is going to be your blood,” Mira snarls, hefting up her weapon, but Zoey is conflicted.

“If we fight the delicious food will get ruined.”

“Zoey, I will buy you all the kimbop you want, later. Focus on fighting Rumi.” Mira readjusts her weapon and then lunges at Rumi. Rumi tosses the wine bottle at her and Mira slices it. It explodes all over her face, making her slam her eyes shut.

"Want me to lick that off for you?" Rumi offers and Mira wipes the wine off, scowling at Rumi.

She and Rumi dance around the blanket while Zoey tries to save the picnic basket. She sneaks in between them and grabs it, raising it over her head triumphantly before Rumi ducks behind it and Mira's woldo goes straight through it, ruining it.

“Man,” Zoey whines. Mira shakes the basket off of her weapon as Rumi scales a tree. Mira goes after her. Zoey sighs and runs up after them.

They haven't fought among the trees before, the branches swaying under them as they hop from one to another. Mira swings and slices, dropping a branch down to the ground. “You should be careful with that,” Rumi warns. “What would the fans say if they saw you chopping up trees and ruining the environment.”

“The only one ruining the environment is you,” Mira shot back, pausing on a branch and looking around as Rumi had disappeared somewhere into the thicket of leaves. “You pollute the air every time you speak, demon!”

“Then maybe you should shut me up by kissing me!” Rumi's head pops out from the canopy upside down spiderman style. Mira didn't expect her face to be this close and she backs up in panic as her cheeks go a bit red at how close Rumi had been to her mouth. Her heel dangles in empty air and she almost falls off of the trees, but Rumi grabs her by the wrist and pulls her back up, before disappearing into the canopy.

Zoey watches the leaves rustling and throws her knives upwards, trying to catch Rumi.

“Missed!” Rumi calls out triumphantly. She sticks her head out and shows her tongue to Zoey who flings three knives at once out of annoyance and misses them all.

Mira jumps up and spins the woldo above her head, creating a bit of a whirlwind. It reveals Rumi's position, but it also causes the thin branch with a bird's nest on it to fall out of the tree

The nest with the eggs is about to fall down and break. The trio see it, but only Rumi moves in time. She wraps her body around the eggs and falls down with it, backflipping through the air until she lands on the ground safely. “You need to be more careful!” she admonishes, before scaling up a nearby tree and placing the nest there.

Mira and Zoey drop down next. “Sorry,” Zoey mumbles. She hadn't meant to harm any wildlife.

“Yea...like my bad,” Mira awkwardly tacks on.

Rumi drops down, sighing. “As much as I love you chasing after me, I was really hoping we could kick back and relax a bit with a nice picnic under the moonlight.”

Mira folds her arms across her chest. “Uh huh. With completely no ulterior motives.”

“Well, I was hoping maybe as I hand fed you expensive cheese and meats that you two would realize your deeply, deeply buried feelings for me and we could make out-”

Mira hits Rumi over the head with the butt of her woldo. “Bad demon. Stop romanticizing us.”

“Yea,” Zoey nods her head as Rumi rubs the bump on her head.

“Right, sorry. Maybe I should start kidnapping you-”

Zoey flies across the space and slaps her hand to Rumi's mouth, shoving her into the ground. “Shut up!”

“Uh, Zoey, what's all this about?” Mira asks.

“Nothing! Nothing at all!” Zoey is sweating, grin stretched too tight on her face as Rumi tries to mumble out an answer behind the hand on her mouth.

Mira's eyes narrow. “Zoey....”

“Nothing, seriously!” Zoey's smile twitches as Rumi licks the inside of her hand. She yelps and pulls the hand back.

“Zoey is into-”

Zoey launches herself back onto Rumi, this time putting her into a headlock. “Shut up!” she hisses, embarrassment turning her face red. Rumi taps at Zoey's arms to let her go, face turning blue.

Mira is torn between making Zoey let Rumi go so she can hear what Rumi has to say, and letting Zoey defeat Rumi once and for all. Hm, decisions, decisions.

Rumi makes the choice for them, teleporting out of their hold to stand on a tree branch above them. She rubs her neck. “Damn Zoey,” she chuckles, voice raspy from pain. “Remind me to ask you to demonstrate that for me again.” She grins devilishly and winks. “I'll do it for you in bed after I steal you away.”

She poofs away as Zoey's knives go flying at her, landing in the soft bark. Zoey is breathing hard, beyond annoyed and embarrassed.

“You wanna talk about-”

“No,” Zoey says stiffly and walks off.

-

Mira hisses and yanks back her arm, glaring at the cut on her finger. It's not deep but it's bleeding a lot. Before she can shove it under the kitchen sink, Rumi is by her side.

She takes Mira's hand in her own and before Mira can say anything, plops her finger into her mouth. Her mouth is warm, and wet, tongue twirling around Mira's finger. Rumi hums in enjoyment.

“What the hell,” Mira growls out and smacks Rumi in the head with the skillet she was going to use to make breakfast today.

“Ow!” Rumi cries out, as Mira pulls her finger out of her mouth. Rumi grabs her head. “I was helping you.”

“How is sucking on my finger-” Mira looks down at it and finds the cut is completely gone. “Huh?”

“My saliva has healing properties,” Rumi explains.

Mira deadpans at her. “Gross.”

“No, not gross. Helpful! You should let me lick all your battle wounds-” Mira lifts up the skillet again and Rumi backs up to a safer distance.

Mira turns back to her food, continuing chopping up scallions.

“What are you making?” Rumi ventures after a few minutes. 

“Breakfast for me and Zoey,” Mira answers.

“Smells good.”

“You're not getting any.”

Rumi whines. “Not fair. Do you know how hard it is to live off of ramen noodle cups?”

“Suffer.”

Rumi is silent a while behind Mira and Mira thinks she's left, when she feels arms snake around her waist. She jolts and spins around to smack Rumi, which turns out to be a bad idea. Like this, Rumi's arms embracing her, Rumi's face close enough to brush their noses, it feels too intimate and Mira inexplicably freezes.

“Please, can I just have a bite? One bite of your food without you tricking me?” she pouts, upturning her brows, making her eyes super big. Mira lowers her hands, trying to shove Rumi's arms off of her.

“Rumi-”

Rumi leans in closer, chest brushing into Mira's and making Mira lean her head away. “If you let me, I promise to be on my best behavior for a week. Unless,” at this she bites her lower lip, eyes lidding now. “You want me misbehaving?”

Mira's heart skips a beat for some reason.

The sound of a glass hitting the floor pulls their attention away. Zoey has woken up and is standing in the middle of the kitchen, jaw hanging open. Rumi zooms over to help. “Don't move. I don't want you stepping on broken glass,” Rumi bends down to pick up the shards carefully. Zoey looks over at Mira who refuses to make eye contact, focusing intently on making the rest of breakfast. And if it comes out a little burnt, it's not at all because she's distracted.

Mira and Zoey eat breakfast from across each other, trying to speak quietly as Rumi rummages through the kitchen for something to throw together into a quick breakfast.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” Zoey asks, poking at the burnt bacon ends.

“What are you talking about?”

“First the footsie under the table with Rumi during the signing event, then you in her arms at breakfast-”

“Whoa, slow down there. There is nothing going on between us!” Mira tightens her hold on her fork.

Zoey narrows her eyes at Mira. “Are you sure? Are you sure she hasn't accidentally seduced you!”

“And are you sure she hasn't seduced you?” Mira shoots back, arms crossed. “She seems to know some secret of yours that you don't want to share.”

“Are you two fighting over me?!” Rumi squeals, interrupting them as she appears out of nowhere, sitting down at the counter with a bowl of cereal that she has topped with anchovies, chunks of pineapple swimming in the milk. “Please, do continue. But don't worry, there's enough to me to go around.” She flexes her biceps and both her bandmates eyes are unfortunately drawn to how they bulge.

Are they....bigger? How is that even possible.

Rumi doesn't notice their stares, humming happily as she digs into her meal. Mira's and Zoey's eyes are drawn there and they both pull matching faces of disgust.

“I've lost my appetite,” Zoey says, leaving.

“Me too,” Mira says, going after her, and Rumi waits to hear the click of their bedroom doors before she lunges over the counter and drags their plates closer to her. She rubs her hands in delight and digs in.

Chapter Text

The grunts coming out of the training room only mean one thing- Mira is training. Or more accurately, taking out all of her frustrations on Rumi, whose only too happy to enjoy them.

“That's it,” she encourages as Mira grapples her to the ground onto the padded mats. “Give it to me baby.”

“Shut up!” Mira hisses, flustered, Rumi escaping her hold. They both get to their feet, circling each other. Mira grabs Rumi's arms and throws her down violently, Rumi only half heartedly trying.

“Harder,” she groans at the impact, Mira straddling her waist, one hand grabbing the front of her work out shirt.

“You are so annoying,” Mira huffs, the red on her cheeks not only from exertion.

Rumi looks up at Mira, smirking. “If you wanted to top me this badly, all you had to do was ask.” She's smug like a cat with all the cream, her hands softly holding onto Mira's waist. Rumi looks disheveled right now, body warm underneath Mira, breathing harder, strands of hair escaping her braid, cheeks a bit flushed. Mira made her this way- and she could make her look even more disheveled. Mira feels her body turn warmer.

Mira panics and punches Rumi right in the face.

Mira gets up and Rumi rolls over onto her side as she hisses in pain, hands to her face. “I think you broke my nose.”

“Get over it,” Mira says, rolling her eyes in annoyance. She takes a swig from her water bottle to try and regain calm.

“Much rather get under you,” Rumi says, sitting up, pulling her hands from her bleeding nose, only to be pelted by the very heavy water bottle right in her injured nose.

“Must be fine if you can keep making remarks like that,” Mira says and stomps off, feeling thrown off by Rumi's comments. Normally they didn't bother her, but for some reason they've been getting under her skin recently.

They need to vanquish Rumi and soon, before Mira gets any more confused.

Rumi groans and pinches her nose, cracking it back into place. She gets up and grabs a towel to wipe the drying blood off of her face. The door creaks open and she turns to see Zoey is padding in, stretching out her arms.

Rumi perks up. “Come to have your way with my body too? I'm all sweaty and worked up for you already,” she winks and Zoey slides across the mat quick as a whip, ankles wrapping around Rumi's legs, before she twists and sends Rumi crashing into the ground.

This, is a new move, and Rumi loves it. “Where did you learn this?” she asks as Zoey crawls on top of her and yanks her opposing arm and leg behind her back.

“Mortal kombat,” Zoey says. “I'm trying to play competitively but I'm not that good yet. Let me try out some of the moves in real life, that way they'll come like second nature to me when I'm gaming in tournaments.”

Rumi doesn't bother to stifle her moan as her back is stretched, neck arching back. “I'll come like second nature if you keep this up,” she mumbles to herself, the pain reaching higher and making her body swell with heat. Zoey holds on for a few seconds more, before letting go and sitting on Rumi's lower back. “Will you let me?” she asks nicely, Rumi panting as she tries to recover.

“How could I ever say no,” Rumi says and Zoey whoops in glee before she puts Rumi's body through the wringer. Half an hour later and Rumi is sore everywhere but floating on a cloud of pleasure.

While brutal on her body, these training sessions are heaven for Rumi as she gets to have her crushes touching all over her. And so what if Rumi doesn't try to hit back. She might be a bit of a masochist. But only for them.

-

“Hey, so I was thinking,” Rumi pipes up to which Mira groans and Zoey simply shoots a side eye. “When we do our nightly session of you trying to kill me, instead of you chasing me, you should let me chase you.” She pushes her fingers together, a bit shy.

Mira and Zoey both stiffen at this request. What is Rumi up to now?

“And why should we?” Mira asks.

“Thought it might be fun. You know, maybe if you have a scary demon chasing after you, you might actually be more motivated to kill me.”

At this Mira's woldo and Zoey's knives come harrowingly close to laying on Rumi's throat. She holds her hands up.

“And who says we aren't motivated to kill you,” Zoey sneers.

“Yea. We've been trying to kill you since day one,” Mira says.

“I don't doubt your demon slaying abilities,” Rumi says, “I've seen you murder so many of them when I come to help you out, but come on. It's been two years and I'm still here.”

Rumi pointing that out only pisses Mira and Zoey off more. They yank back their weapons to swing them back with all their might. Rumi doesn't move, only teleporting away at the last second. She lazily reappears on their couch.

They lunge at her there, only for her to teleport away yet again. They do a brief cat and mouse game, the team unable to fully go out because they don't want to destroy their room. Rumi appears on a supporting beam in their penthouse.

She materializes her sword- which is only another insult to the other hunters. The fact that a demon can use one of those to slay other demons. Rumi grins, her teeth stretching until they become protruding fangs. Her patterns flash, claws elongating.

“Let me see you get serious,” and she launches herself at them. They split to the sides, Rumi's landing cratering the floor as her blade slices through the air and into the ground. Despite not touching the wall, it cut through it, causing it to crumple down.

“Hey!” Mira cries out. “That was an expensive TV.” The two halves fall with a thud.

Rumi doesn't respond, darting at Zoey. Rumi is quick, and in a confined space like this, that's bad. Zoey barely has a chance to use her knives to block Rumi's blade before the force of it forces her to crash through the window and out.

Rumi jumps after her and Zoey grabs more knives out of thin air. She throws them at Rumi as Rumi descends quickly towards her. Rumi snaps one knife in half with her teeth, avoiding the other one, hand reaching out to Zoey.

“Zoey!” Mira cries out and runs after them. She sees the tail end of Rumi grabbing Zoey in midair, and teleporting away. “Shit!” Mira curses, panic swimming through her. She didn't know Rumi could teleport away with them. She could be anywhere! Mira presses her fingers to her temples, willing herself to remain calm and think on how to fix this.

Zoey is immensely disoriented. One second she's falling and the next she's in all dark where she can't even hear herself think, and then she's tumbling onto the gravel top of a roof.

She groans, head spinning. “Sorry,” Rumi squeaks out. “I've uh, never teleported with someone else before.”

Zoey drags herself until her back is against a wall, trying to regain her balance and senses. Rumi stands over her, and behind her the Huntrix tower is not too far. Zoey can make a dash back for it.

“All alone with an evil demon,” Rumi purrs, crouching in front of Zoey. Zoey can feel her heart speeding up, but she can't tell if it's from fear or something else. Rumi uses the edge of her sword to lift up Zoey's chin, peering down into her eyes. “Poor, defenseless Zoey.”

Zoey's fingers grit into the gravel but she didn't summon any knives to her hand. Rumi takes the sword away and shoves it into the wall above them, the light catching on it's iridescent blade and purposefully catching Mira's eye from the tower.

Rumi leans in towards Zoey again, crawling in between her thighs, face close to Zoey's. Zoey pushes herself into the wall as far as she can, but she can't move. Her limbs seem intent on betraying her as her mind wanders to a salacious scene from her favorite manhwa that looks way too much like this scenario.

She doesn't want Rumi that way. Surely not.

“I'm-I'm not defenseless,” Zoey breathes out, Rumi's eyes lidding. One hand falls onto the inside of Zoey's thigh, pushing it back to make more space for her. Zoey's heart beats faster. Is this what it feels like to be prey?

“You're shaking,” Rumi notes, brows furrowing momentarily, trying to figure out if Zoey's frightened or too excited. She doesn't actually want to hurt or scare her. “Zoey are you-”

Zoey's hand shoot up, fingers curling into the nape of Rumi's neck, eyes squeezing shut as she gives in, bracing herself for whatever is next. She bares her neck to Rumi, biting down on her bottom lip. Rumi stops herself at the sight, taking in how red Zoey's cheeks are, how her chest is rising up and down rapidly.

“Rumi stop!” Mira's loud shout interrupts them. She's standing above them. Rumi scrambles away and Zoey's eyes open in confusion. Rumi grabs the sword from the wall.

“About time,” Rumi grins. “If I was a less impatient demon your friend would have already been gobbled up.”

Mira lands in between Zoey and Rumi, holding out her weapon. “Stay away from us.” She attacks Rumi, Rumi parring her blows, hit after hit. They dance along the rooftop, Zoey watching while her body still feels out of sorts. Rumi ducks in too close; Mira's weapon can't do short distance. Mira steps back, but Rumi doesn't reach for her with her blade, but her hand.

“Your turn,” Rumi grins and grabs Mira by the waist and teleports them away before Mira even has time to complete her scream.

Zoey rises to her feet. She guesses it's her turn to find Mira now. She doesn't have to wait long. A few blocks away she sees the shine of Rumi's weapon like a beacon, left out to draw her. She rushes along.

Mira handles teleportation a bit better than Zoey, landing on her feet like a cat and swinging her weapon around and nearly chopping off Rumi's braid. Teleportation, just makes Mira angry. And have a slight Irish accent.

“Come over 'ere,” she growls out and Rumi can't help but laugh at how cute she is. She avoids Mira's weapon, getting in closer to her until she can simply grab the staff of the weapon and yank. Mira goes flying along with it, hard enough that she skids her knees on the ground.

“Mira!” Rumi cries out, instantly worried. She drops the woldo and runs over to her as Mira hisses in pain. Both of her knees are badly scuffed. “I'm so sorry. I thought you would let go.” If Rumi had known she wouldn't have used as much strength.

“I have a photoshoot tomorrow, idiot,” she huffs at Rumi.

“Let me see,” Rumi says only for Mira to shove her hands away.

“You've done enough.” Both knees are skinned and bleeding. Rumi clenches her hands. She can fix this, and Mira is being stubborn about it. She grabs Mira's ankle and drags her to her.

“Sit still,” she orders her and before Mira can respond, she drags the flat of her tongue over Mira's left knee.

“Would you stop licking me!” Mira says.

“I told you, my saliva heals. If you let me heal you, you'll go to your photoshoot with no issues tomorrow.” Rumi looks up at Mira from her spot kneeling next to her.

Mira thins her lips, glares at Rumi. Already where Rumi has licked has stopped bleeding and closed up into smooth skin. “Fine!” she yells out. “But if you try anything weird, I'm kicking you.”

“Why would me being on my knees in front of your spread legs make you think I'm going to do anything weird?” Rumi tips her head and Mira knows she's being purposefully annoying.

“Just shut up!”

Rumi grins and leans back down to finish cleaning the wound. Her touch is gentle on the back of Mira's knee, holding it steady. Her wound burns like antiseptic is being put on it. Rumi works quickly, finishing up one wound and then the next.

Mira hates to admit it but her knees are as good as new. Rumi presses a soft kiss to Mira's knee, smiling up at her. Mira freezes, staring down at Rumi. It's such an oddly soft gesture. One a demon shouldn't do.

Zoey arrives onto the rooftop, slightly breathless. She pauses when she sees Rumi's lips kiss Mira's knee, Mira sitting quietly on the roof and just letting her do it.

Zoey feels....something ugly curl up in her chest and sit there heavily.

Is that...is she feeling jealous?

Why would she feel jealous?

Are Mira and Rumi....into each other? Was Rumi only being playful to Zoey?

She holds up her knives, frozen, not sure what to do. Rumi notices her. “Oh hey Zoey!”

She's promptly kicked in the face by Mira, sending Rumi sprawling onto her back. “I told you not to do anything weird!”

“I kissed your knee to help it heal! It's a tradition people actually do to heal boo-boos!” Rumi defends and Zoey shakes her head to get rid of the thoughts from before. Mira doesn't like Rumi. There's no way that she does.

-

That night Mira sits huddled under a blanket, thousand yard stare on her face. “She was never trying,” Mira realizes. “All this time and she never really tried to fight back.” Her pride is wounded, and her ego too. Rumi had even taken care of the wound she'd given Mira, apologizing for her hurting her. The audacity of the demon to do such a thing! It makes Mira even more depressed.

In Zoey's room, she's currently trying to suffocate herself with a pillow for getting so worked up when Rumi pretended to have her trapped. She doesn't want Rumi to ever do that again! (Please let Rumi do that again. This time with chains. And a dungeon. And-) Zoey screams in self inflicted anguish and runs into the bathroom to take all the cold showers.

Meanwhile Rumi sleeps like a baby, happy to have had a chance to go a little more wild with her powers and chase her favorite girls around. The demon part in her purred contently. She couldn't wait to have more fun with them tomorrow.

Chapter Text

“You know, did you ever think about how it's not fair,” Zoey says as they watch Rumi in the recording studio from behind the glass. “That a demon can have such a lovely voice.”

“Better question is why is she using it to help the honmoon and not to destroy it,” Mira grumbles, both of their eyes on Rumi, entranced by the way she seems to sparkle and shine- to be in her element- as she records for their newest single.

They've seen the golden ripples now when she sings on stage with them. She's helping them, they've accepted that fact reluctantly. But why would she? Is she playing the long con? Helping them, building up fans trust, and then going to bring it all down?

They haven't been able to figure out her game plan after all this time. But maybe if they stare at her some more, they'll get some sort of answer. They continue to look at her in silence, listening to the faint trickle of the music that the glass can't fully block out.

-

Mira has a plan, but it's not one she can share with Zoey as of yet. She wants to make sure it'll have a chance of success before they make an attempt at it. Rumi has been hiding her true strength and abilities from them and they need to proceed carefully.

“Rumi, I need you-”

Rumi zooms up off of the couch where she had been watching fan reactions to their teasing of a new single, stopping a few millimeters away from Mira. “You can have me anyway you want. Covered, uncovered, dripping in butter-”

“Ew,” Mira pulls a face. “First off, I don't need you like that, and secondly, who covers themselves with butter? Wouldn't whipped cream be a better option?”

“You're right!” Rumi cheers in sudden realization. “Whipped cream spread all over-”

“Can you focus,” Mira interrupts, really not wanting a mental image that would ruin food for her. “I need to try out this new dance for us. But I need to see if you can handle it.”

“I can handle anything you and Zoey dish out to me,” Rumi assures, excited. “Lead the way dance captain.”

Mira rolls her eyes and leads them to the small dance studio she's had built into the penthouse for when late night inspiration hits and she needs to dance.

“I'm trying out something....spicier,” Mira says.

Rumi is bouncing on her toes. “Lay it on me.”

“Follow my lead,” Mira says, turning on the music. The dance is meant to start out solo, before Mira comes towards Rumi to do what some might call a seductive dance. Her hands go to Rumi's waist, to her shoulders, circling around her, bodies grinding into each other too close. Mira ignores Rumi's clear happiness at this, facing her again before she dips Rumi down into a low pose.

When she brings Rumi back up, she's clutching a rose in between her teeth, their noses almost brushing. She waggles her brows at her and Mira rolls her eyes in annoyance. Mira pulls away and then she mimes pretending she'd be dancing for Zoey's section. Mira hasn't included a few other moves, but Rumi doesn't need to know that.

When the music ends, she pulls to a stop and Rumi claps for her.

“We don't need the rose,” Mira tells her and Rumi plucks it out of her mouth.

“No,” Rumi says, eyes lidding as she brings the rose head up to her mouth, lips tracing it. “But after that dance performance we might need a room.”

Good. It looks like the dance will be distracting enough to Rumi's demon brain. They'll use it on stage, distract Rumi, and then reveal her for the demon she is! Mira will even invite Celine to the concert, that way she'll have no choice but to see the truth.

She turns around and misses the way Rumi chops down on the flower, eating it stem and all, chewing on it thoughtfully like a food critic.

“I don't get how people drink Rose,” she mumbles to herself, “when even eating a rose hurts.”

-

They spend almost the whole day dancing, and when Mira is satisfied that Rumi has the moves down, she figures she'll tell Zoey about the whole plan. Zoey's been out with some friends and it's nearly nearing 9pm. Mira feels like a mom about to text Zoey to ask if she's okay. She'd stay up and wait for her, but she's tired from all that dancing and she needs a bit of rest to be up early tomorrow.

She heads to her room and no sooner plops down on her bed then there's a knock at her door. She opens it up, finding Rumi on the other side.

“What do you want?” she asks, not in the mood to humor her.

“I came up with something to add to our dance,” Rumi says.

“Absolutely not,” Mira says. She doesn't need Rumi upending her plan.

“Oh come on, please!” Rumi clamps her hands together and begs. “You let Zoey alter steps.”

“She's not a demon.”

“I'm a huntress just as much as you all are. And it won't even take that long,” Rumi adds.

Mira groans low and long, to show Rumi how displeased she is with all this. She's not in the mood to argue. “Fine, just get it over with.”

Rumi silently fist bumps and they walk back to the dance room.

“I'm back!” Zoey calls out, following the sound of music to the dance room. She's got bags with boba tea drink in them. She stops when she sees Rumi and Mira in a way too intimate pose. Her bags drop to the floor.

Mira's legs are tangled around Rumi's own, as Rumi slightly bends her down, hand on the small of Mira's back holding her up, and other hand cupping her cheek as if they were lovers about to kiss. Mira's hands are clinging onto Rumi's shoulders, and their faces are way too close.

“Uh, am I interrupting?” she squeaks out and Mira shoves Rumi away from her in panic, shoving so hard Rumi falls into the mirror.

“No, no!” Mira stammers to answer, cheeks red, looking guilty. “I um- we were just-”

“I wanted to show Mira a new dance move,” Rumi says, picking herself gingerly out of the mirror to not splinter it more. So far it was holding it together- shattered, but holding together. It felt a bit like Zoey did now.

She didn't understand when Mira and Rumi had got so close to each other.

“Yes, we were practicing the new dance routine I came up with.”

“What new dance routine?” Zoey asks, trying not to sound flat.

“You didn't tell her?” Rumi gapes, before smirking. “Oh, was the dance routine just an excuse to get me all over you-”

Rumi ducks as Mira swings her woldo at her in rage. “Shut up! That's not what was happening at all!” She looks back at Zoey to reassure her, but Zoey is gone. Damn it, now she has a misunderstanding to explain. She rushes off and Rumi watches. Then, shrugging, she bends down to clean up the spilled tea on the floor.

Mira catches the door to Zoey's room before it shuts, letting herself in. “Zoey listen to me. It's not what it looks like.”

“Then what does it look like,” Zoey asks, sitting down on the edge of her bed to listen. Mira runs a hand down her face.

“I have a plan. I came up with a dance routine that will disarm Rumi. While she's distracted by the moves we put on her, we'll use the chance to strip off her jacket and show the world her patterns.”

“Why didn't you tell me about it?”

“I wanted to make sure it worked. We need Rumi vanquished, but it's just so hard to come up with a plan that works. She's really good at out playing us.”

Zoey sighs, feeling a bit more assured that Mira doesn't like Rumi. “I thought you two were, I dunno-”

“We're not. She's a demon,” Mira says. “She's probably doing this to drive a wedge between us. We're strong together and she knows that.”

Mira is probably right. They need to stick together even more now than before. Zoey gets up from the bed. “Alright. Show me the dance moves.”

Chapter Text

“Celine, they're literally patterns. Demon patterns!” Zoey exclaims as she holds out her hands to showcase Rumi who stands in between her and Mira in the private box Celine watched the show in.

“Fully glowing and everything!” Mira adds on, hands similarly stretched out in front of Rumi who stands there with her sleeveless top looking nonchalant.

Mira and Zoey had used their dance to yank Rumi's jacket off in the middle of the show while they were on stage, but to their surprise Rumi was not the least thrown off by it, instead leaning into the movements, making the action even more heated than it was meant to be.

There were already edits of this scene floating around online, with speculations of what it could mean for the future of Huntrix. What the metaphor behind this was. Naturally, the humans couldn't see her patterns because demons could suppress them to a certain extent if they needed to, and Rumi had been prepared to suppress them all without missing a beat.

Only hunters could see the patterns. Which is why it made no sense Celine wasn't taking this shit seriously.

“It's just glitter and glue,” Rumi says, holding out a jar of glitter and a glue stick from no where.

Celine eyes her and nods her head. “It's just glitter and glue, girls.”

Both Mira's and Zoey's jaws drop open.

“It's not-” Mira begins as Zoey can't even get a single letter out, too indignant.

“I don't have time for this. Go spend time slaying real demons and leave this topic alone. If I have to hear you accusing Rumi one more time of being a demon, I am going to have a serious chat with you both about this.”

“But-but-but-” Mira doesn't even finish; Celine is striding out the door. She slams it shut behind her and they both turn to Rumi who has that wide grin on her face, eyes narrowed.

Mira grabs her by the front of her top. “What did you do to her?” she hisses. “How can she not see you're a demon?”

“I didn't do anything,” Rumi says. “Maybe she's choosing to be willfully ignorant because she doesn't want to think I'm a demon because she wants someone to turn the honmoon golden and she knows with me on the team, that will happen.”

Rumi plucks Mira's hands off of the shirt and walks off. “Good show by the way. Nice job team.” She flashes them a thumbs up and a smile over her shoulder before walking off.

Frustrated, they decide to do some late night demon hunting to get out their anger. They slash and dice, dancing around the demons who have appeared at a construction site. No one is around at this time of night.

Mira jumps from beam to beam up high, while Zoey slashes on the ground floor, avoiding the dug holes and kicking a few demons down them. There's a horribly loud screech from above and Mira gapes in horror as a demon managed to undo the wires holding up a few steel beams.

“Zoey!” Mira cries out, reaching out as if she could grab Zoey this way and keep her safe. She's too far away to get there in time.

Zoey looks up and gasps at the falling beams. She winces, readying herself from an impact that never comes. She looks up from her position. Rumi's got all three beams balanced against her back, muscles straining as she holds them up from crushing Zoey. She's bleeding from her temple, face gritted in pain. “Move!” she growls out and Zoey slides out from under Rumi. Rumi then teleports away, the beams falling down with a clatter.

Mira drops down next to Zoey, pulling her to her. “I was so worried for you.” She hugs her tight and Zoey wraps her arms around her. “What happened?”

“Rumi,” Zoey says, looking around, but Rumi is not around. “She stopped the beams from falling on me.”

“She did?” Mira does a double take. “Where is she?”

But only silence answers them.

They arrive back at the apartment and yank open Rumi's door. She's sleeping, back rising softly. They close the door. “Are you sure Rumi was there?” Mira asks.

“She was!” Zoey declares. “She was bleeding and everything.”

Mira crosses her arms and taps a finger. Then she yanks open Rumi's door again, turns on the lights and pulls the covers from her. There's blood on the pillow and bruises on her back that the sleep shirt can't cover up fully. “Um, hi?” she gives them an awkward grin.

“Ha! Told you she was there!” Zoey cries out triumphantly before she grabs her by the wrist and drags her into the bathroom. They shove her onto the toilet, Zoey producing a first aid kit. She takes out some wipes and Mira grips Rumi's jaw in her hands to hold her face steady. Rumi hisses at the burn, but Mira holds her still. Zoey then places some bandages over the wound, glad to see it doesn't need stitches.

Blood cleaned off, they move onto the next thing.

“Shirt off.”

“I'd always thought you'd undress me in my bedroom, and take me on the bed, but I don't mind the toilet-”

“Now,” Mira grits out and Rumi quickly takes off her shirt, crossing her arms over her chest for some modesty. She turns around, sitting on the toilet rim backwards to give them better access to her back.

“You know I heal fast.” Rumi throws over her shoulder. They don't answer her, slathering on a special cream to help reduce bruises and pain. Mira takes the left side, Zoey the right side. Rumi sighs in content. Mira's hands are colder in touch, fingers long and limber, Zoey's hands are warm, palms small but fingers strong.

The way they work the lotion into Rumi's skin has her wanting to purr. She's never had their attention like this before. She wonders what's changed.

They finish all too quickly and wash the cream off of their hands in the sink. “I need to get those stretchy wraps. We ran out of them,” Zoey says, rushing out to go find a spare first aid kit around their apartment.

Rumi gives Mira a look, the pink haired woman left in the bathroom with her.

“Why are you both doing this? I thought you hated me?”

“I don't know how or why you did it, but...you saved Zoey,” Mira says gruffly, avoiding looking at Rumi. “Thanks.”

Rumi offers her a small smile. Maybe this is progress. Maybe they don't hate her as much as they say they do-

Rumi's expression is flat the next day as she sees the new person sitting on the couch, sitting in what should be her spot in between Mira and Zoey watching TV.

“What is this?” Rumi grouses out. She'd gone out on a very long walk and come back to someone else here?

Mira turns, a smug look on her face. “We decided, that if Celine can't see your true nature, we'd do our own recruitment and find a new member to eventually replace you.”

Zoey turns to face her. “Rumi, welcome our new member!”

The new member stands up and slowly turns around, tossing their shoulder length black hair over their shoulder. Rumi's jaw drops open in horror. “Oh no,” she breathes out.

“Hello, Rumi,” the gorgeous woman says. “It's been a long time since we've seen each other.”

“Jinu-” Rumi doesn't even a chance to finish saying her name before Jinu is launching herself like an animal over the couch and at Rumi who yelps in fright and runs away. Mira and Zoey look at each other in mild confusion. What was going on?

They follow after them. They find Rumi in a side room, clinging to the chandelier for her life as Jinu stands under it. “Rumi get down from there.”

“No!”

“Stop behaving like a child and get down here.”

“I am going to live the rest of my life on this chandelier from now on!”

“Jinu, mind telling us what's going on?” Mira asks and Jinu turns to them, smiling widely, the picture of innocence in her bubble gum pink outfit.

“Rumi's my wife.”

Both Zoey's and Mira's jaws drop at this.

“What did you just say?” Mira asks.

“My wife,” Jinu repeats.

“We're not married!” Rumi denies from up above. “You're delusional. We've been broken up for years!”

“Rumi,” Jinu squeals, “You're so cute when you're so mean to me.”

“I'm getting a head ache from this,” Zoey says.

“Rumi get down here. You need to tell us what the hell is going on!” Mira says.

“I'm not coming down here if she's down there.”

“Zoey, you take Jinu out of the room, I'll get Rumi down,” Mira instructs.

“Let's go have some...tea!” Zoey says, gently steering Jinu out by the elbow. Once they're gone, Mira takes out her woldo and uses the blunt end of it to knock Rumi off of the chandelier. She falls down with a thud, rubbing her hurt side.

“You need to tell us what's going on.”

“Just like you told me you were trying to replace me?” Rumi spits out as she gets to her feet. “Of all the things I put up with, this....this actually hurts.” The pain on her face shouldn't make Mira's chest clench. She shouldn't feel guilty about this.

“Rumi, I-” she's not sure what she wants to say. She doesn't get a chance to say it. Rumi disappears into a cloud of smoke.

“Damn,” Mira sighs out. She has no choice but to leave Zoey and Jinu alone while she tries to find Rumi. Mira hits the streets, scouring them for hours. She still hasn't found Rumi by the time the sun is setting.

Jinu and Zoey have just finished their fifth round of uno. Zoey shoots out of her seat when she sees Mira. “Did you find her?”

Mira shakes her head.

“Don't worry. Rumi loves to run and hide,” Jinu giggles. “She's been running and hiding from me for years.”

Mira leans on the table, hovering over Jinu. “Why did you call Rumi your wife?”

“Because she is. She promised to marry me when we were kids and now she's trying to skip out on it.”

“So you're not actually married,” Zoey says.

“We will be.” Jinu's demeanor drops for a bit, hinting at anger behind dark eyes.

“Let me use you as bait,” Jinu suggests. “Rumi won't be able to resist coming back to save you both.”

Chapter Text

“This is stupid,” Mira grumbles. “And unsafe.” She hangs tied up from a string rope over a tank with sharks. Very hungry sharks. She only hopes Zoey is in a less stupid position.

“No, it's very smart,” Jinu insists, from where she stands in front of the tank below. “With you strung up here and Zoey strung up miles away from here, Rumi will be forced to make a choice. Either save you, or save Zoey. Or, a secret third option. Propose to me and I won't drop you into the shark tank and Zoey into the lava pit.”

The lava pit sounds worse. Mira really regrets this plan now. “Yea, I think we should reconsider.”

“Too late,” Jinu cackles maniacally and presses a button. The hook holding Mira up slowly begins to descend. “I used your phones to text Rumi. She should be here any second-”

There's a very pink strong breeze that moves past Jinu. It slaps her hair into her face. When she fixes it, Mira is gone.

Jinu stares in dismay. “Fuck!” Rumi had already saved Mira??

There's a loud cracking noise and Jinu becomes aware that Rumi must have also smashed the tank glass while she was at it. Water and sharks pour forth and Jinu screams as they come cascading right at her.

Meanwhile, Rumi slices through the binds on Mira, releasing her. They're standing on top of the Huntrix tower, safe. Well, Zoey has a bit of a sunburn from the lava pits, but she'll recover.

“Rumi, wait-” Mira reaches out to grasp at her, but Rumi only shoots them a hurt look before she disappears again.

Mira hates the way a hole seems to open up inside her. She didn't care about the damn demon, so why did it hurt so much to see Rumi be....disappointed in them?

“We need to fix this,” Zoey says, softly touching Mira's hand. “I- I don't know why it bothers me that Rumi seems genuinely hurt by this.” She sighs. “We have to talk to her.”

“You mean have an actual conversation?!” Mira cringes at the idea of feelings. But out of the three of them she is the one that ironically is best attuned to figuring people out. “How do we even do that if she's avoiding us.”

Zoey holds up her phone. “We text her. Invite her to an apology dinner.”

-

They book a dinner at an expensive hot pot restaurant, wearing nice outfits to go along with it. The third chair sits empty and it's already half past.

“I don't think she's coming,” Mira says as Zoey picks up her phone to check if Rumi messaged them.

“I wanted her to come, so badly,” Zoey sighs, swallowing down her disappointment.

There's a soft throat clearing behind them and they both turn to see Rumi standing there, awkwardly holding onto a shoulder purse. She's wearing a formal white shirt with ruffles and black slacks to match the expensive atmosphere.

She doesn't make an innuendo about either of Mira's or Zoey's comments, which they find to strangely...miss. They're used to rolling their eyes or arguing against Rumi's remarks. If feels weird to not do that.

“I'm here,” Rumi says. “You want to see me?”

“Sit,” Mira points to the empty chair and Rumi shyly sits down.

For a long moment nobody knows what to say, before Mira sighs and puts her hands on the table. “Let's just...get everything out there.”

“Rumi, we're sorry that we hurt your feelings by trying to replace you with Jinu,” Zoey begins. Rumi winces at the mention of Jinu's name. “But we figured it'd be less hurtful than trying to continuously kill you and send you back to the demon realm.”

“You couldn't have picked anyone else? Out of all the people that auditioned,” Rumi half whines.

“Is Jinu...an ex-friend?” Mira ventures.

“They're an ex girlfriend. I've been trying to get away from, for years!” Rumi exclaims. “It's why I wanted the honmoon to turn gold to keep Jinu sealed away in the demon realm forever while I stayed here.” Rumi shudders. “You have no idea what they're like. They're obsessed with me.” Flashbacks play in front of Rumi's mind.

Mira and Zoey feel bad about doubting Rumi's commitment to sealing the honmoon. Getting away from a bad ex was an excellent reason to seal it. 

“Wait a second,” Mira holds up her hands. “Are you telling us Jinu is a demon?”

“Yes. They're a demon. Don't tell me you didn't notice,” Rumi says and Mira and Zoey look at each other.

“Oh my god, I can't believe it. We pulled a Celine,” Mira grouses out, rubbing her temples.

“I understand her so much better now,” Zoey says in dismay. “And I hate that I do. I owe her a hundred apologies.”

“Ugh, now we have two demons in Huntrix,” Mira feels a headache coming on.

“We need to get rid of Jinu,” Zoey says.

“It's already too late. They're like a ghost haunting, once they're attached to the place everything needs to be burned down.” Rumi gives them a hundred yard stare.

“We'll just fight them with our weapons and send them back to the demon realm,” Zoey says, stabbing into a nearby dumpling with emphasis before dropping it into the boiling pot. Rumi doesn't say anything to this but she doesn't seem convinced.

“What aren't you telling us?” Mira leans in closer and Rumi leans back, brows furrowed.

“I'm- I'm not sure. I just have a really bad feeling about this,” Rumi admits.

-

Jinu arrives back at the penthouse, dripping wet and with a small shark still attached to their ass. “I made it. In one piece,” she breathes out, yanking off the wriggling shark and tossing it aside to notice a giant bite missing out of her butt. “Mostly.”

But no one answers her. They must be out. That won't stop her schemes. Not when she's been given this perfect opportunity on a silver platter. How stupid of the Huntrix girls to let her join their band when Rumi was here.

Jinu walked over to Rumi's room, smiling when she opened up the door.

This, would be good.

“I'm not letting go of you so easily,” she promises.

-

Rumi gets back to her room, sighing in relief. Her bandmates have sorta apologized to her, and it makes her feel better to know their efforts will now be on getting rid of Jinu and not her. She freezes when she sees the note left for her on the desk. There's a lipstick mark on it and with fear, Rumi opens it up. Her eyes widen as she reads what's on the note. Gulping, she folds it back closed.

She has no choice...

The following morning Mira, Zoey and Rumi sit gathered around the counter, Mira sliding down three mugs of hot tea for them. “Here's the plan: Rumi, you'll lure Jinu out on a fake date, somewhere far away from everyone. Then Zoey and I will swoop in and vanish her back to the demon realm.”

“What are you talking about,” Rumi chuckles forcefully. “I'm in love with Jinu. Always have been and always will.” Her face twitches as she says this and sweat is running down her temple. Clearly, something is wrong. “I would never plan to kill them and you guys shouldn't either. Come, let's focus on being the best Kpop band we can be!” She walks away with the mug of tea in her hand.

Mira and Zoey exchange looks. Something has to have happened in between the dinner and this morning. What did Jinu do? They watch as Rumi hops on over to where Jinu sits and stiffly settles down next to them. Jinu wraps an arm around Rumi's shoulder, eyes straightforward on the screen.

“Alright we have got to interrogate Rumi on this,” Mira deduces, glaring at the back of Jinu's head.

“You do it. You're really good at being scary. I'll keep Jinu distracted.”

They nod their heads, confirming their plans. Zoey zooms over to Jinu, holding out her phone. “Hey, Jinu, I found some nice spots for you and Rumi to get married in.” Jinu's attention is instantly on the phone.

“Whoa, these all look so romantic!”

Mira yanks Rumi by her braid and drags her off the couch and into her room quickly. She pushes Rumi down into a chair.

“Alright,” Mira says, making the leather strap creak in her hand. “Talk. Or else I'll hit you.”

Rumi's eyes slide down to the crop in Mira's hand, then to her face. “You know, it's not exactly the deterrent you think that it is.”

Mira groans and pinches her brows. “Just tell me why you're acting all weird today.”

Rumi doesn't say anything. Mira presses. “Rumi, we're working together to try and help you.”

Rumi's chin wobbles. Mira doesn't expect her to burst out into tears. “They said they would share my most embarrassing secret with you and then you'd both hate me for it if I didn't do as they said,” Rumi sobs.

Mira is hellishly tempted to know what this horrible secret is, but perhaps another time. “We won't judge you.”

The door slams open behind her, Zoey wrapped around Jinu's ankle in an attempt to stop her from coming in. Jinu smiles, the kind of smile only someone who is going to reveal a secret can give. “Rumi pees crouching over the toilet bowl because she's too afraid to sit down because she thinks there are toilet snakes waiting to bite her.”

Mira and Zoey look at each other as Rumi buries her head into her hands.

“I thought there were toilet crabs,” Zoey says, getting up to her feet and wiping off the dust she had collected.

“Crabs?” Mira scoffs. “Everyone knows it's toilet eels.”

“Wait, what,” Jinu looks at them as if they're insane. Rumi peeks through the gaps in her fingers.

“Yea, if that's Rumi's horrible life ruining secret, then honestly we thought it'd be something worse like she eats the souls of babies,” Mira says lazily, unimpressed.

“Or that she doesn't tip waiters when she dines,” Zoey adds on.

Jinu is staring at them. “You believe that there are sea animals in your toilet bowls?”

“Duh!” Zoey says. “Where else would they be.”

“In the sea.” Jinu narrows her eyes at them as they stare blankly at her.

Jinu slowly backs out the room, hands raised. “I uh, need a moment.” Then they turn on their heel and run.

“You guys! You didn't have to lie to make me feel better,” Rumi throws herself on them, wrapping her arm around their shoulders to drag them in closer.

“Lie, right, totally lied for you haha,” Mira says stiffly.

“Anyways, let's call Celine to fire Jinu for us,” Zoey says, pulling out her phone.

“Just don't tell Celine Jinu is a demon, otherwise she'll never fire Jinu. Tell Celine Jinu is asking for better pay and shorter hours. Jinu will be fired before she can even blink,” Mira says.

Chapter Text

“Now that Jinu is gone, we can finally relax,” Zoey says, kicking her feet up on the couch.

“And focus on properly slaying you,” Mira adds, arm behind Rumi's shoulder as they sit watching a movie, Rumi in the middle, munching on popcorn. Mira and Zoey's weapons materialize from thin air. Mira's woldo tip is under Rumi's chin, one of Zoey's knives also joining. Rumi keeps munching, eyes forward on the screen.

“Sh, they're getting to the good part in the film,” Rumi insists.

Mira and Zoey both drop their weapons to turn their attention to the film. “Give me some,” Mira holds out her hand for popcorn and Rumi passes her the bucket. Zoey leans her cheek against Rumi's shoulder and snakes her hand across her lap to get some of the popcorn too.

When the movie finishes, they all stand up and begin to crack their backs, stretch out their arms and legs. “That film was so long,” Zoey complains.

“But if it was a hundred five second tiktoks spliced together you'd sit through it,” Mira teases.

“I don't think oscar worthy films are for me. I swear they're all sad or sadder,” Zoey says.

“I do think the cinematography was nice,” Rumi says and Zoey nods her head, as if that's an argument to win against Mira.

“That's how you know the movie is shit if you can only compliment that it looked nice.”

“Suggest a bad film once and suddenly you're blacklisted,” Mira holds up her hands.

“You lose both remote control and couch privileges,” Zoey insists.

“I will fight you for both. And to restore my honor,” Mira says. Both their eyes flicker to Rumi. “But first, we've got to take our demon out on their nightly....walk.”

Our demon, Rumi preens at the word choice. She bounces on her toes. “I really hope one of you doesn't corner me and make me beg for my life,” she says in a manner that definitely means she wants that to happen.

Weapons materialize back in the air and Rumi teleports before they can raise a hand to swing at her. They rush out the penthouse to find her, and they begin their familiar chase once more, Rumi always teasingly a few steps ahead of them while they keep missing. They don't mind as much. It's better to have the demon you know then the demon you don't by your side. And now they know how motivated Rumi is- equal to them if not more- to turn the honmoon gold.

The chase is only ruined by the appearance of Jinu. They both groan as Jinu races up the rooftops next to them. “Jinu, go away,” Mira growls out, taking a swing at her and missing. Zoey and Mira pull to a stop, intending on facing Jinu and finishing this for once and for all.

Ever since Jinu had been fired from Huntrix, she had taken to inserting her life into the band's. Showing up for signing events, showing up when they were fighting demons, and buying out all the front row seats for every show so only she sat in the front with a big sign that said 'fuck me Rumi'.

“Seriously. Rumi clearly broke up with you, and wants nothing to do with you. What about that don't you get?” Zoey says, hands on her hips, irritation sparking in her usually cherubic face.

“I just want another chance to show Rumi I've changed. That I can be better now,” Jinu says.

“Demons can't get better,” Mira insists.

“You don't get to decide if you get a second chance,” Zoey adds on.

“Actually, this would be my fifth second chance,” Jinu says. “We've had a lot of ups and downs.”

“Sounds mostly like rock bottoms,” Mira snorts, not amused.

“Seriously, stay away, or we'll have no choice but to destroy you.”

“Why don't you?”

“Out of consideration for Rumi,” Zoey clarifies. “It's considered rude to kill an ex, unless she asks us to do it.”

Far up ahead, Rumi stops when she notices they are no longer chasing her. She squints her eyes and scans the roofs and a shiver goes down her spine when she sees them talking to Jinu. Jinu has been harassing them, but Mira and Zoey have been inserting themselves in front of Rumi and keeping the worst of Jinu's attention away. Rumi finds herself unexpectedly touched by this.

“If you won't let me prove that I deserve another chance with Rumi, then the fans will decide that for us,” Jinu says, slowly backing away.

“What do you mean?” Mira asks.

Jinu gives them a mysterious smile and then teleports away.

“Hey, you can't just teleport away all mysterious and shit!” Zoey shouts at the air but Jinu doesn't return. Rumi teleports next to them now that Jinu is gone.

“What did they want this time?”

“They seem to be scheming,” Mira answers.

“Ugh, not again. See I told you that they'll keep pestering us and won't stop until they get back with me,” Rumi says, rubbing her brows.

“We won't let one pesky demon come between us,” Zoey says.

“But five pesky demons....that might be a bit tougher,” Mira says in dismay when her phone beeps with alerts so she could pull up the latest feed. Wordlessly they all agree to go to the location while wearing disguises to see what Jinu is planning now. They can't let a demon such as that get away. 

They travel quickly, arriving just in time. Or perhaps Jinu was waiting for them to arrive. They watch the debut of Jinu's kpop group Saja Girls attracting a crowd of interested people. The entire square is already filled as they sing their new single Soda Pop.

“Who let them into the kpop industry,” Rumi exclaims, worried by how quick the debut was, as if Jinu already had everything planned out months ago. “Are they really that desperate for singers they'll hire demons?”

“As if you're one to speak,” Mira grumbles.

Zoey is scrolling through her phone. “I don't see them having a management team. Or a PR. We can get Celine to buy them and then we'd manage them. Break them up, squash their debut, and then send them packing to the demon realm.”

“They'd like that,” Rumi says sourly. She can already imagine Jinu using this chance to show up to Rumi under the guise of 'meetings' and try to put the moves on her. She shudders.

The song ends and the Saja Girls all bow to the audience. Jinu looks up and winks in Rumi's direction. She shrinks down into her disguise more. “This song is dedicated to the love of my life: Rumi from Huntrix.”

The audience squeals at this and then the Saja Girls disappear in smoke.

“Oh no,” Huntrix say in unison. They rush back to the penthouse before the crowd can make out that they were in the audience.

“They're shipping you,” Zoey exclaims in distaste looking through her media feeds one more. The internet worked fast. It had only been half an hour since the announcement and already there were edits of them.

Rumi makes a retching sound.

“Rujinu?” Mira arches a brow, not impressed by the name. Then her eyes narrow in with laser focus on something else. “What is this?!” she hisses.

“They're shipping us too with the other Saja Girls," Zoey reports. 

Mira's eyebrows twitch as she looks on at her being paired with Romance and Abby. She scrolls and scrolls, increasingly growing more and more annoyed. “We didn't even talk to them??? Or interact with them??” Mira screeches out.

Zoey snatches her phone back before it can break. “It seems they're shipping you with them because of your hair color. And they're shipping me with Mystery because I have little bangs and she has all the bangs.” She twists up her lips. “I guess Jinu making that comment made everyone just pair us up with the other girls.”

“We need to take that band down. If they steal our fans and if they sing, the honmoon will go to shit,” Mira says, and a heavy silence falls on them.

“What if-” Rumi swallows thickly. “What if I go back to Jinu-”

“Absolutely not,” Mira says, shaking Rumi by her shoulders. “We are not letting you go back to your toxic ex just because you need to save the world. There are other ways to do this.”

“Then how?” Rumi asks. 

“Simple. We beat them out in a dancing and singing competition,” Zoey says. “The Idol awards are in a week's time. We train up, challenge them, and then beat them back into the demon realm.”

“Nothing is ever that simple with Jinu,” Rumi says.

“And what do we do about this all this shipping?” Zoey asks. “It's growing astronomically fast! If we lose the fans, then we lose the strength of the honmoon.”

Rumi hums. “I have a solution, but you'll have to trust me.”

Mira and Zoey exchange looks with one another. Rumi's a demon, so they shouldn't trust her. It would make no sense to trust her. But...she's never actually hurt them. She's helped them in fights, she's helped them in growing bigger as a group to seal the honmoon. And even when she's flirted, she's...it's not as unattractive as Zoey and Mira try to convince themselves it is.

“Okay...” Mira drawls. “What are you planning?”

Rumi rubs her hands together. She'd be a fool to miss out on the opportunity of a life time. “The only way to fight fire is with fire. Zoey, I'm going to need you to hire a photographer. We're about to cause a scandal.”

Chapter Text

The Saja Girls manage to snag an apartment on short notice thanks to batting their eyes at an elderly landlord. It wasn't the best of places and they didn't have their own rooms to sleep in except for Jinu. But as Jinu had said, it was only important for her to have a bedroom since she was the leader.

The rest of the demons she'd brought over from the other side were here to work for her as underlings. She had spent hours training them in dance and singing so they could be somewhat useful to her.

The more useful team members Baby and Abby got to share the couch to sleep on, while Mystery and Romance slept in the tub.

Currently the team is in the kitchen making food, or on the couch, watching the TV.

Jinu grabs Mystery's coffee cup before she can take a sip and takes Romance's spot on the couch, kicking back her feet and relaxing. It's good to be a team leader and plan the downfall of Huntrix.

Jinu's good mood is ruined that morning when she sees the trending news on every social media site.

Her jaw drops open and she nearly drops the phone too, scrolling down in horror. There's 'leaked' photos trending of Huntrix.

All intimate photos.

Rumi is sitting at a table next to Zoey, a hat in between them, covering how their faces are drawn close to one another. The implication is that they're covering up a kiss even if they're not really kissing.

A second photo with Rumi shows her and Mira sitting at a table at a different restaurant, both of them face deep in the whipped cream of the milkshake, tongues almost touching as they fight over a cherry.

Jinu crumbles her phone up, now that she's done seeing these horrible images. What is Huntrix playing at? Do they not know Rumi belongs to Jinu?

“Hey boss, you alright?” Abby asks, noting Jinu's expression.

“I'm fine!”

At Jinu yelling at her, Abby grabs her own abs for comfort and sulks off.

“You don't look fine,” Baby Saja says, the only one brave enough to talk to Jinu like this. She shovels a burnt pancake into her mouth.

“I need you all to stop looking so hot and actually put those looks to good use,” Jinu says. “We need Huntrix broken up.”

The remaining team members get close to listen to her plan.

-

Mira and Rumi run out to get coffee that morning. It's more a PR stunt than anything else. Rumi is trying to generate buzz to bring Huntrix back to the top and it's working so far. Huntrix has been trending for days now, everyone speculating on their relationship.

Mira is speculating on her own relationship to Rumi, given how going on these 'staged almost dates' is quite...pleasant. She wasn't expecting to enjoy it this much, given how Rumi is a demon and they're supposed to be mortal enemies.

But she supposes it feels nice because in a way this is normal territory. She's not fighting demons, or on stage. She's simply pretending to be a normal girl whose just hanging out.

As they wait for their coffee orders, they sit down on stools, Rumi pulling out her phone. “Let's watch some videos I have saved.”

Mira is more than aware of the hungry paparazzi outside the glass walls of the coffee house, crammed on top of each other, trying to get photos. She snorts in amusement. She can't believe they're encouraging them. Normally she's sending them off with a kick up the ass and a punch to their face. Paparazzi have to get specific Mira insurance against her in the very probable likelihood she was going to beat their ass.

They were even teaching the Art of Mira at paparazzi school, where future scum were instructed on how to best absorb Mira's fists and feet. They had long given up on trying to fist fight back or outwit her. Nothing they could come up with could match her battle skills. She was born with the taste of blood on her tongue.

Rumi scoots closer to Mira and Mira allows it. She allows Rumi to place a hand oh so casually on her thigh, a move she would normally reward with a swift decapitation effort. Mira can feel her face heating up, especially because of how casual Rumi is about this. As if it's natural for her hand to rest on Mira's thighs. Mira feels a self conscious flush on her face as camera's flash so brightly it feels like thunder is flashing through the sky.

Not to be outdone, Mira places her own hand on Rumi's thigh. Rumi doesn't react at all, which is a bit of a let down. Mira had been hoping for a happy squeal or a flush, but Rumi continues on rambling about the funny moments in the video she's looking up for Mira.

Isn't Rumi's whole gimmick that she's deeply in love with them or something? Why is she not freaking out over this? Doesn't she want them touching her?

Rumi finds the video with a small satisfied cry, and pulls it up for Mira. “Look,” she says, showing Mira something that could only be described as deep fried brainrot- a term Zoey happily taught her. Rumi is entirely focused on the video, laughing along to it as she absently strokes her fingers along Mira's thigh making her feel warmer with each caress.

How is Rumi being so normal?

Feeling a bit insulted now, Mira slowly creeps her hand up Rumi's thigh, methodically squeezing down. She leans more into Rumi, their shoulders bumping. “Cute,” she drawls, right into Rumi's ear.

Rumi snatches up Mira's hand- for a long gravity defying moment, Mira thinks Rumi is going to drag it up into the apex of her thighs. Instead she kisses the inside of the palm of it, inciting another flurry of photos. “Mira,” she says in a low voice, peering up through her lashes. “We are in public now, and I'm really trying to be good.”

There she is! That familiar side of Rumi. A hint of fangs peeks through and Mira wonders if Rumi will scrape them down Mira's palm. She's eyeing her hand up like she might.

Vindicated, Mira drops her hand from Rumi's. “You're the one who said we should be scandalous,” she says in a whisper, aware they are in a very public place. “Shouldn't we give them something real to chew on?” She doesn't know what possesses her to say this. It's the last thing she should be encouraging. She reasons it's because she wants them to win against the Saja Girls. And if it's to protect the honmoon then she'll willingly flirt with Rumi.

Rumi visibly swallows at this, lashes fluttering. She's leaning into Mira, eyes locked onto her lips. “Mira...” she breathes. “Oh the scandals I could cause with you.” Her hand strokes down the side of Mira's face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Mira's face turns bright red and she feels frozen in place as Rumi leans ever closer. The barista calls out their fake names and cuts the moment short.

“That's our order, demon,” Mira says, slipping out of her seat all too happily and yanking Rumi gently by the strings of her hoodie. Rumi follows after her, a bit dazed.

They grab their coffee orders, Rumi paying for Mira and Mira allowing it so it fits the narrative, before they head back out, down an alleyway, having satisfied the photographers nestled in the cafe specifically tipped off by Rumi.

The alleyway isn't empty. Two members of the Saja Girls are there- Romance and Abby. Mira's personal enemies.

“Hey girl,” Abby says, blocking their path and standing way too close to them. She plucks Rumi's drink right out of her hand and sips on it before Rumi's even had one.

Rumi's smile dips and her hands claw.

“Don't hey girl me,” Mira shoots back, tsking when Romance snatches her drink out of her hand too. Except Mira's coffee is as dark as the abyss so when Romance takes a sip, she promptly goes into a coughing and retching fit that she can't cover up.

“Lot of people talking about us on the internet. Shipping us," Abby says, waggling her brows and abs. How does she do that? Mira is grossed out and mildly impressed. 

“To where?” Mira asks, arching her brow.

Abby furrows her brow, as if confused by how Mira doesn't get this.

“We don't have time for you losers,” Rumi huffs, irritated by the mention of the Miromabby ship.

“We'll see who the real losers are. Let's have a ship poll contest,” Abby says and Mira mutters something about 'what do boats have anything to do with this' under her breath. “We all have our dates with Mira and then see which pairing trends the highest for an entire week.”

Abby leans in, the buttons on her shirt magically undoing themselves and affording Mira a look down her cleavage. “What do you say, baby girl?”

Mira's eyes are drawn down, despite herself, unable to hide that she is slightly impressed by Abby's abs and chest. Rumi notes this and fumes.

Rumi doesn't say anything else, grabbing Abby and throwing her into the nearby dumpster where she hits it with a clang.

Mira stands there, jaw dropped despite herself. Rumi had just easily overpowered the most muscular woman Mira has seen like it's nothing. And the way her teeth are bared, fangs sharp and starting to slightly curve, have Mira's throat feeling too dry. She struggles to swallow.

Rumi's chest heaves and once she sees Abby is not getting up from the dumpster any time soon, she turns her attention to Romance and snarls, actually snarls at her. The sound makes Mira's stomach swoop.

Romance turns heel and runs, only stopping to grab Abby and toss her over her shoulder before leaving.

Rumi keeps staring at them before satisfied that they're gone, turns back to Mira. “Are you okay?” she asks and Mira can only mutely nod her head, strangely impressed. 

Rumi grabs her by her wrist and drags her with her. The rest of the trip, Rumi stands too close to her, hips bumping into each other, fingers brushing as they walk. Mira finds her presence both soothing and distracting. Her skin feels...too tight on her and she doesn't know why.

Chapter Text

Rumi is on high alert after that incident with Romance and Abby.

She takes her job of escorting Zoey on their fake date very seriously. So seriously in fact, that she follows her into the changing room.

“Rumi, there are no Saja Girls in this dressing room,” Zoey huffs, hands on hips, bundle of clothes Rumi is going to buy her, on the bench. Rumi is checking every last inch of this space, going so far as to even press her nose to the floor and sniff.

“There was a depressed mom of two here fifteen minutes before us,” she reports, getting back to her feet. “Okay, it seems clear.”

“Not even the paparazzi are here!”

“That's because I paid them to come right as we're leaving the store and going to the food court,” Rumi says. She dusts her hands off. “You can change now.”

Zoey has never changed in front of Rumi before. Rumi has her own dressing room during shows. “Uh, you mind leaving?” Zoey asks a bit sheepishly.

“And let the Saja Girls come into this space?” Rumi scoffs and shakes her head no.

“Could you at least turn around?”

“Fine!” she throws her hands up in the air and stands arms crossed, facing the door. Zoey doesn't even know if she wants to try on the clothes anymore, feeling incredibly self conscious. It's just that Rumi is so hot and if she peeks over at Zoey, Zoey doesn't know if she'll have the strength to chide her. Or to ask her to stop looking, as Zoey slowly strips for her-

Zoey shakes her head. She needs to focus. This isn't like one of her romance novels where the handsome bodyguard comes into the dressing room with his boss, saying “it looks like the only danger here, are these clothes constricting your beautiful body” before ripping them off of her and making passionate love to her against the wall.

There's no way Rumi would ever want to do that with Zoey.

Zoey's heart is pounding loudly in her chest and she feels nervous, hands shaking a bit as she undresses. Is it her, or is it really hot in here?

She peers over her shoulder but Rumi is staunchly refusing to look back at her. Huh, that's kind of disappointing. What happened to Rumi using every chance she could get to salivate over them? Or to insert flirty conversation? They were trying to win a ship war after all!

Now was not the time to reel back the flirtations!

Feeling mischievous, Zoey shouldered on a dress. “Rumi, I need your help putting this on.”

Rumi turns around and steps forward to zip up the dress, not at all taking her time with it. She does it quickly and swivels right back around on her heel to stare at the door.

What the fuck, is all Zoey can think. Well, this won't do!

Pretending to check herself out in the mirror, Zoey schemes up another plan. “Rumi I need your help with the zipper again.” Rumi turns around to unzip her and is treated to Zoey 'tripping' onto her and knocking them both down to the ground. Rumi lies there, her chest rising up and down gently as Zoey pulls a face. “Oops. Guess I spun around too fast.”

Rumi gives a choked laugh. “Why are you and Mira both so insistent on trying to get me to snap? We need to focus on the mission. Destroying the Saja Girls is super important right now.”

Oh, so Mira had been doing this too? And she'd given no indication of it, looking bored when she'd come back from her fake date with Rumi.

Zoey flushes at being called out. “I'm not! I'm just uh, you know, making sure you're keeping sharp on your toes. We want our flirting to be super duper good and uh, you're usually more flirty than this and now is a bad time to be less flirty if we want to out ship the other ships and-”

Rumi chuckles and Zoey stops. “You don't have to worry. We'll win the ship wars.” She strokes a hand down Zoey's cheek. “I won't let my girls lose.”

Zoey flushes at the endearing term. Rumi is looking up at her so softly and it makes Zoey feel warm inside. If she wanted to, she could lean down and kiss her. Blame the ship wars as a way to get to taste Rumi's lips.

Suddenly Rumi stiffens up under her, eyes rolling to the top to look at the door. “I can smell their loser-ness from here. Zoey get dressed, we have to go.” Zoey reluctantly rolls off of Rumi and to her feet. Rumi strains at the door, snarling and muttering under her breath, like a dog waiting on their owner to let them out and at the enemies.

Zoey quickly changes and grabs some of the outfits to maintain the story cover for the paparazzi. She opens the door and Rumi bolts out. Zoey chases after her.

“Must have been steamy in there,” Mystery says softly, waiting for them in front of the store. The paparazzi are eating this interaction up and Rumi hates she can't pound Mystery's face in. She snarls at both of them, Baby Saja holding up her hands.

“I'm just here for moral support. Mystery is too anxious otherwise.”

“I am not!” Mystery snaps at Baby.

“Anxious and a loser!” Rumi chimes in, sensing the ability to verbally take them down if she can't resort to violence. “It's no mystery that you suck!” Despite the schoolyard level insult, Mystery breaks down into tears. All it results in is their bangs getting soggy since there's so much hair over her eyes.

“You're a meanie!” Mystery runs off and with a groan Baby follows after her to comfort her.

Rumi smiles and then sashays over to the register to hold out her credit card. “I'm paying for all of Zoey's clothes.”

Zoey's not quite sure what to make of this, except that she should probably be disappointed in Rumi for resulting to being mean. Then again, how often had Zoey wished someone would have stood up for her like this in school when kids were being to her?

If Rumi had been there, Zoey wouldn't have had to endure bullying in middle school.

So yea, Zoey can't really be mad about this and she doesn't chide Rumi about it, basking in the glow of being protected.

Both her and Mira have refused to share with the other, both convinced that they are the only ones feeling this way and that it will go away with time once the ship wars are done.

Rumi, walks around tall and with a puffed out chest, happy to have protected her bandmates from horrible flirting attempts.

-

“How is that they're still gaining ground in the ship polls!” Rumi's screech wakes both Zoey and Mira up. They pad down to the living room where the news is now reporting on the ship wars.

“The Saja Girls and Huntrix have the world in a fevered grip as the popularity contest between ships rises. Despite the Saja Girl's interactions with all of the Huntrix pairings doing horribly each time, delusional fans are rooting on the ships even harder.” The newsreporter announced, cutting to a Zoeystery fan.

“If we ship them hard enough and believe in them, then we can manifest it.”

“Manifest this!” Rumi snarls, flipping off the TV screen.

The news cut to Jinu who has a fake smile plastered onto her face. “We thank the fans for their love and support. The battle ahead may be hard, but we all know that even if Huntrix sees us as enemies, sometimes enemies can become friends who fall in love with each other. And we know we can get them to see us this way, if we try hard enough.”

Rumi throws the TV remote into the screen, causing it to short circuit.

“No!” Rumi goes down to her knees. “They pulled the enemies to lovers card! Everyone knows that it's more compelling and powerful than friends to lovers!”

Zoey nods her head in agreement while Mira shakes her head no. Mira pauses when she sees Zoey's reaction. “What, you like enemies to lovers?”

“Duh! Nothing screams I love you more than hating someone's guts so much you can't stop thinking about them.”

“That sounds unhealthy, unlike friends to lovers which is built on a foundation of trust.”

“I am very mentally stable, thank you very much. I just find friends to lovers so boring. You know they'll end up together.”

“And what's wrong with it being safe and boring and cute!”

“I am so disappointed in you. For someone who is so brash and wears so many spikes, I'd expect you to be into BDSM or something.”

Mira blinks. “What is BDSM? And what do looks have to do with my tastes. By that logic you should like friends to lovers.”

Zoey snorts. “Why does everyone think I'm can't be freaky enough. I can be the freakiest freak to freak on this side of the galaxy.”

Mira turns to Rumi, hoping she'll be a voice of reason. “Rumi tell her friends to lovers is better.”

Zoey turns to Rumi too. “Tell her enemies to lovers is the clear and only choice.”

Rumi stares both of them. “I prefer porn without plot.”

“Of course,” Zoey and Mira both groan in tandem.

“She's horny like all the time. She can't focus enough to actually read with one hand,” Mira points out.

“I can flip books pages with my tongue, that way both hands are free,” Rumi says proudly.

“Too much info,” Mira says while Zoey perks up, interested.

“And I'm not always horny.” Rumi pauses, and thinks. “Sometimes I'm horny and mad. Or horny and sad. Or-”

“Alright, enough,” Mira cuts in before this can go further. “The Saja Girls?"

Rumi gets back to topic. “We have to find a way to get our numbers higher. We're ahead for now, but their numbers are rising. We can't lose the honmoon. We've already done fake dates and gone on outings, and spread those photos of us almost kissing.” Rumi paces in front of the TV and sighs. Mira and Zoey take a seat on the couch.

“I don't mind, ramping the ante up to win the ship polls,” Zoey says. “Anything for the honmoon.”

“Yea, same,” Mira nods her head after a second. “For the honmoon.”

Rumi stares at her bandmates, her face lighting up with glee that looks so painful it can't be fun to feel. Mira and Zoey know it can't mean anything good.

Tapping her fingers together, Rumi stops in front of them. “We should fuck, for the honmoon.”

Chapter Text

Zoey boos her and Mira throws a vase at Rumi's head. It shatters against her face but it does nothing to remove her smile. “Why are you booing me? I'm right!” Rumi says.

“We're not doing that!” Mira protests, reaching for another object to throw at Rumi.

“But it's to save the honmoon. You both just said that you'd do anything to save it!” Rumi cries out, deeply confused now.

“Yea, anything reasonable. We are not sleeping with you, no matter how hot you are. You're a demon, Rumi.” Mira gestures roughly with her hands.

Rumi sniffs. “That's it, I'm calling mom.” She whips out her phone and dials Celine.

“She's not your mother!” Zoey points out.

“She doesn't know it yet, but she will be,” Rumi says.

“That's not how motherhood works!” Zoey adds on. 

Celine picks up on the first ring- something she's never done for Mira and Zoey before. “What is it my perfect little princess,” Celine says as Rumi puts her on speaker phone.

“Princess?!” Mira wheezes out as Zoey's jaw drops. Celine has never shown them an ounce of affection. 

Rumi's voice wobbles as she snitches on them. “I'm trying to save the honmoon and Mira and Zoey won't let me.”

“Hey, so not true! She wants us to have sex to save the honmoon!” Zoey rises to her feet, to scream across the room to the phone.

“And?!” Celine scoffs. “There are millions of people who would kill and have killed to try to be in your places.” Then to Rumi she adds, “don't worry about them sweetheart, you can do so much better than them.”

“Sweetheart?!” Mira wheezes out.

“Thanks, Celine. You know just what to say to make me feel better,” Rumi says, chirping brightly as she hangs up the phone.

“Oh my god, Celine's worse than those entitled parents that demand people date their children,” Zoey gasps out, deflating.

“Okay, so Celine says we don't have to do it-”

“Of course we don't! We didn't have to do it in the first place!” Mira points out.

When will this demon stop scheming to try and get into their pants? She strides up to Rumi with angry steps and pokes her forcefully in her chest. “I can't believe I actually started thinking better of you. That I was actually enjoying our dates. I thought maybe you were learning to be more respectful to us, that you actually wanted to see us as friends rather than...than some achievement. As nothing more than a body to fuck.”

Rumi's face drops and her shoulders start rising up and down. “No, wait, Mira, I-”

“Shove it,” Mira says, pushing Rumi back hard by the chest. “I bet this is all some stupid scheme with Jinu anyways. You're probably working with her and using this entire ship poll as an excuse to get into our pants.”

“Mira, no I-”

“I don't want to hear it,” Mira says and she feels raw inside. She's stupid. Stupid for ever thinking Rumi could be different. “Come on, Zoey.” She turns around and walks off with Zoey who throws a conflicted look over her shoulder at Rumi. Shrugging, she goes off with Mira, leaving Rumi standing alone in the big room.

“Damn it,” Rumi mutters to herself angrily. “You always do this. You always ruin everything you fucking touch. You can't keep your mouth shut for once. Always with the stupid jokes.” Her shoulders slump and tears glimmer in her eyes. “Jinu was right. They were always right. I shouldn't be around anyone else. I always poison them.”

She teleports away in a cloud of pink smoke.

-

Rumi doesn't come back for a week. She avoids the apartment entirely. Zoey doesn't like this.

“We should go look for her.”

“No.”

“Mira, please-”

“Zoey, I can't.” Mira's voice cracks. She hates how raw this entire fight has made her feel. She shouldn't care this much about a demon and yet she does. Zoey plops down next to her on the bed where Mira is staring at the window from. “We can't keep marching on as Huntrix this way. Rumi doesn't seem to take this band, to take us, seriously. And it hurts.”

“We weren't the greatest to her either,” Zoey says softly.

“I know, which is why we have to change. All of us. We can't keep doing things the same way and expect to be better.”

“Then let's look for her. So we can all talk.”

“I don't know what I want to say to her,” Mira shakes her head. “I need some time.”

Zoey nods her head. “I'll be in the studio.” She leaves, only to return half an hour later with a grim look on her face. “Uh, the polls aren't looking too great.” She holds out her phone to Mira who takes it. Mira's eyebrows go up.

“Why is Rumi on a date with Jinu??!” Mira's hands clench the phone tightly. There's live coverage of Rumi and Jinu sitting at an outdoor care together, Jinu laughing and slinging her arm around the back of Rumi's chair as Rumi looks uncomfortable. “Do you think she got kidnapped?”

“Only one way to find out,” Zoey says, and without a second thought they gear up. They walk over to the date spot, shoving through rows of paparazzi.

“Hey Rumi. Jinu. So nice of you to save us a spot,” Mira says, pulling up a chair and sitting down in front of them, Zoey joining. Jinu has a look of mild panic on her face while Rumi can't meet their eyes. Zoey sits down next to Mira, both of them dressed in their best date clothes.

"You're welcome," Jinu says tersely, aware of the cameras on her, while Rumi avoids looking at Mira or Zoey. 

Every time Jinu tries to touch Rumi, Mira kicks Jinu under the table. Jinu hides their grunts of pain but death glares Mira across the table as if they wish they could stab her. And any time Jinu tries to talk to Rumi, Zoey starts rambling. She's great at cutting into conversations and taking them over. Jinu's voice gets quieter and quieter as the date goes on.

She's being outplayed. “We'll have to hang out another time,” Jinu says tightly as Mira yanks Jinu's slice of dessert away and downs the cake in one bite. Jinu looks close to losing it and rises up stiffly before leaving. The cameras follow. Rumi takes this chance to make a run for it. Mira and Zoey closely follow, Mira yanking Rumi by the wrist and pulling her to a stop in an empty side road.

“We need to talk,” Mira says. “What the hell are you doing running off with Jinu?”

Rumi yanks her hand away. “We weren't planning anything, if you're worried about that. The ship wars are still going. I just figured it would be best if I gave up, since there's no point in us trying.”

“No point in us trying!?” Mira nearly screams out. “What about the honmoon? What about protecting the fans?”

“We can't do it without you. We need a third member,” Zoey adds on more calmly.

“Maybe you can find someone else-” Rumi wraps her arms around herself.

“No,” Mira almost stomps her foot. “Whether you like it or not, you're our third member. We trusted Celine to pick you, and even if she picked a demon and can't see that, the honmoon accepted that. It gave you a weapon. So, you are stuck helping us.”

“Why are you running away? Why are you trying to undo all this?” Zoey asks, big eyes wide with worry. “Is this about the argument?”

“I'm sorry,” Rumi says, fidgeting with her fingers. “I'm sorry about everything. I never meant to make you so uncomfortable. I don't see you as a warm body in a bed. You're so much more to me than you'll ever know. I just figured it would be easier to make you hate me if I acted a certain way.”

“What?” Mira does a double take.

Rumi sighs, tired. “I like both of you a lot. It's never been a secret. And I've never been ashamed of it. I knew what I was getting into when I joined Huntrix. You two were going to hate me because I was a demon, no matter if I was good or bad. So I decided that if you were going to hate me, I'd at least give you something....silly to hate me for? If that makes sense?”

“Not really no,” Mira shakes her head. “But that doesn't matter right now. Because of your date with Jinu the Rujinu ship is overtaking Polytrix. We need to work as a team to get our numbers back up. We can figure out everything later. The honmoon must come first.”

“You're not...mad at me?” Rumi asks, sounding so small. Mira thinks maybe she's being too harsh on Rumi. Rumi flirts and makes comments but she's always looked out for them and never actually done anything that wasn't to further the ship wars, which Mira and Zoey had agreed to.

“Cut back on the flirting- except for the fake dating ship stuff- and we'll be good,” Mira says. “We don't need you to make us hate you anymore in your convoluted ways. We've accepted you, Rumi. Even if it's crazy to have a demon as a hunter. But....we want you on our team.”

Rumi's face brightens at this. Mira looks to Zoey for agreement but Zoey doesn't say anything. “Zoey?”

“What?” Zoey says a touch defensively. “I um....actually like the flirting.” She toes the ground with her shoes sheepishly.

Mira's eyes twitch. “What.” Since when had this happened??

“It's fun,” Zoey says. Mira groans. So this entire argument had been for nothing? 

“Why didn't you say so sooner,” Rumi smiles and leans against the wall all smooth like. “I have so much material-” Mira slaps a hand to Rumi's mouth.

“That's enough out of you. And Zoey, we are having a word about this.” Mira shakes a stern finger at Zoey who pouts. She has spoken her truth and she will not be silenced!

“I'm calling mom,” Zoey says digging out her phone to call Celine.

“She's not your mom either!” Mira cries out.

“I already set her the adoption papers.”

“She can't adopt you!”

“I'm adopting her!”

“Zoey!” Mira lunges at her and Zoey runs away, laughing, keeping the phone out of reach. Rumi watches them both go and sighs to herself. She's happy they've talked some stuff out. Mira is right. Rumi can't give up so easily just because they're a little mad at her. But she had felt so hateful of her own self that-

Rumi swallows thickly and shakes her head. She needs to stop letting Jinu under her skin. Even when she's not here, Rumi can hear her voice. Rumi needs to double down and refocus on sealing that honmoon. Then all these doubts and fears can be gone.