Chapter Text
Rumi had a lot to learn about being a demon, or well, half-demon. Sure, she’d had the marks, she’d always had those, but ever since she’d embraced her demonic half it felt as if she was beginning an entirely new journey of self-discovery. It was great for the band, and great for the fans, they always ate up songs about learning to love and accept yourself, but -
being a half demon meant a lot more than just having some purple stripes.
The first time Rumi learned that her eyes glistened in the dark like some sort of predator she had nearly given Zoey a heart attack. After a late night expedition to the fridge, the purple-haired woman had made the baffling discovery that she could see in the dark.
Cool .
She tried to be quiet, she tried not to disturb her sleeping friends, but in spite of her chronic insomnia, Zoey was a surprisingly light sleeper. Her screams upon discovering a pair of slitted pupils staring back at her from the pitch black could have woken Jinu from the dead. If nothing else, ever since that startling encounter, Rumi had often found her friend’s gaze lingering her way with what felt like a sense of awe, or fear, the two were often indistinguishable.
Mira was spared from this initial discovery, and seemed to think that many of the singer's newfound abilities were “cool,” she’d outright admitted it, but it was her latest physical change that the aloof woman had found most attractive: the development of a pair of fang like incisors.
“You’re like a vampire now or something.” The pink-haired woman remarked dryly. “It’s hot.”
And Rumi didn’t know just why the remark had made her blush, nor why Mira had become so weirdly obsessed whenever they ate together now - which was all the time.
There was still so much HUNTR/X’s leader had to learn about herself, about her abilities, and it was for this reason that Mira had elected for them to spend their flight to the United States binging horror movies, demonic ones specifically. High above the clouds, a private jet cruised through the night sky like a bullet, ferrying the trio to their destination. The women sat bundled together under a blanket, sandwiching Zoey as they watched the large tv only the most luxurious of private jets could possess. Upon the screen, a black eyed demon turned into a cloud of dust, drawing a very disgruntled huff from Mira.
“Y’know, maaaybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all.” The taller woman rasped, and the expression on her face looked more bored than anything else.
Zoey meanwhile, had practically been crushing the teddy bear in her arms as she watched, unable to tear her horrified gaze from the screen. “You think?!”
“Yeah.” Mira replied flatly. “And now that I'm thinking about it, this might be, like, really culturally insensitive or something.”
Rumi released a soft chuckle at that, turning to stare at the pink-haired woman with a gentle smile. “It’s not, but - I don’t think I have anything in common with… those demons.” She winced, pointing towards the screen as the cloud demon descended back into what looked to the pits of Hell.
“Yeah.” Zoey interjected nervously, and though a smile grew on her face, her widened eyes were unable to tear themselves from the screen. “Besides, you’re way prettier than any of these movie demons.”
“Or the real life ones.” Mira added.
The taller girl’s flat tone made it nearly impossible to read into, but the warm contentment plastered upon her facial expression was so -
A splash of blood splattering on the screen caused the trio to jump in unison. The demon had viciously begun to sink its teeth into the movie’s protagonist, gnawing and mashing into the girl’s neck in a move that was - strangely erotic?! Loud, sultry moans escaped the heroine’s lips as her assailant’s fangs sunk deep into her neck. The camera panned closer and closer to the bloody scene as her hands overdramatically proceeded to trail down her own body. It was stupid, and cheesy, but for some strange reason Rumi had found her friends practically glued to the sight of the gorgeous, blonde falling victim to the demonic entity.
“God, I wish someone would do that to me.” Mira deadpanned, drawing a curious stare from Zoey, one that soon turned into a look of epiphany, followed by eager agreement.
But then the heroine’s boyfriend appeared, stabbing the demon in the back with a crucifix. Like the wicked witch of the fucking west, the villain slowly began to melt into a thick, viscous puddle of black ooze. The graphics left much to be desired, and as Rumi released a gentle giggle, she was surprised to find the duo beside her … cheering.
Because this is how people saw demons. This is how people saw her - as mindless, animalistic, monsters. They had once said so themselves, they all deserved to die.
For a flicker of an instant, in a second that felt as if it had lasted an eternity itself, Rumi recalled the sight of her friend’s weapons drawn her way. She recalled the horror and betrayal in their faces, the hopeless feelings of abandonment - that tight pressure around her chest squeezing her very heart as if it was caught in a vice.
They had left her, no they would have killed her, solely for being herself, for having the audacity to exist. She didn’t ask to be born this way. She didn’t ask for years spent trying to raise her voice to one that would successfully be able to strengthen the power of the Honmoon. She didn’t ask for years of being bullied for being too “sensitive,” or “feminine,” or for daring to wear “girl’s” clothes. And she most definitely didn’t ask to be marked with these stupid purple stripes like some kind of mutated fucking tiger.
The wave of anger that washed over her was outright euphoric - as if the emotions bottled up within her had all just - burst to the surface. A warm flush of heat spread from her very core to the rest of her body like a wave, as if her very being was being forced outward. It was entirely surreal, and it also kind of felt like a really good stretch.
Nevertheless, the rage continued to fester. She so longed to question her friends how they could dare turn on her so quickly, to ask her mom why she had lied to her, and for so long, she -
If she sat here any longer, she was going to say something she’d regret.
Bursting to her feet, Rumi wordlessly made her way to a seat near the back of the jet, entirely oblivious to the concerned expressions of her friends.
Sunbeams gently trickled through the windows of the jet, bathing the craft’s interior in a warm, radiant glow. Zoey and Mira slept soundly on the floor, still bundled together in each other’s arms, and as Rumi woke with a lazy stretch, the sight of the two together, snuggled comfortably together without her, made her oddly… upset?
She couldn’t pinpoint just why she had felt that way. They were all cuddling together last night, but - but then she had ruined it by storming off like a child throwing a tantrum. Or a demon, a demon being its hateful, useless self. Clenching her fists, she ignored the alien sensation of heat filling her body once again. Making her way to the bathroom, Rumi proceeded to ignore the strange resurgence of frustration swelling within her, and instead turned her attention towards getting ready for the day, for their trip to California.
Zoey hadn’t often spoken of her home, she hadn’t really spoken much of her family at all to be honest, and yet it was she who insisted on taking this trip. Not that she minded of course, she was glad to go anywhere with her girls - her friends - she meant. Her best friends, her really good, and quite frankly only friends whom she loved dearly.
The silence that overtook the bathroom was painfully loud.
Entirely absent were Zoey’s cheerful giggles, and Mira’s dry, witty humor. There was no shared laughter, nor even the comfortable silence as they readied themselves in peace. It was unusual to be up this early, to start her day without her friends, but what was more unusual was the fact that for some reason, all of her clothes felt… tight?
Scrutinizing herself in the mirror, she didn’t look like she’d gained any weight, and yet her bra felt fuller, the sleeves of her top were snug, and -
“I didn’t see you packing any capris.” Zoey’s familiar voice chirped from behind her in a move that caused the taller girl to jump. “They’re cute!”
“What capris?” Rumi gulped. “I didn’t - ”
“Hey, can we talk about last night?” The band’s rapper interjected, her tone lowering alongside with her gaze. “Mira and I were worried about - ”
“It’s fine.” Rumi lied. “It was late, and I just really needed some sleep.”
Which was a bullshit excuse, and the frown growing upon Zoey’s face was just further evidence of that fact. They’d often stood up all night writing lyrics together, or watching movies, or staying up gossiping. The trio was inseparable night or day, so for her to just barge off like she did last night was, well, she wasn’t exactly surprised to be having this conversation. What did surprise her, however, was her friend’s increasingly panicked demeanor.
“You know you can tell us anything, right?” Zoey’s voice cracked. “Mira and I love and support you. All of you.” She paused, gesticulating towards her marks.
Which was true to some extent. The duo didn’t care that in the early years of the band she’d have to take breaks throughout the day to wordlessly allow small blue capsules to dissolve beneath her tongue. They didn’t mind that she had the incessant, almost instinctual drive to pursue anything that was actively running away from her. And they most certainly didn’t mind that she was, well, just generally strange. That shared solidarity of being weird was precisely what brought them together, it was the glue that held their relationship, their… platonic relationship, together. They loved and supported her insofar that she was human.
But she never truly was.
With her friend standing in the bathroom’s doorway, and with no way out of here other than to outright move her, Rumi took a deep sigh, and elected to drop the subject entirely. “Look, I appreciate the gesture, but I’m fine. Really.”
Zoey frowned, folding her arms as she reclined against the doorway providing her just enough room to squeeze through. Now was the perfect opportunity to make her way to the cabin in an effort to ask the pilots how they were doing. It wasn’t something she typically did, but right now any conversation would be better than this one. Making her way to the exit, she rushed for the door, gasping as she came eye to eye with a very tired looking Mira.
“Why are you wearing heels so early?” The pink haired woman yawned lazily, and as she lowered her gaze to Rumi’s feet her eyes widened to a point that would have been comedic in different circumstances. “Uh, Rumi? You’re not wearing heels.”
Glancing down at the sparkly purple nail polish on her toes, then back towards Mira, Rumi felt her stomach beginning to drop. “I’m not.” She uttered in a tone that resembled a question more than a statement. “Wait - then why are you - ”
With a speed that rivalled a demon’s, Zoey practically burst from the doorway to stand between the two girls, craning her head back to stare at the band’s leader with a furrowed brow. Both of her friends had always been taller than her, but now there was no question about it - “Rumi!” The shorter girl burst. “You’re… taller?!”
Exchanging glances with her friends, her deep brown eyes bounced back and forth like a pendulum. She was taller, which would explain why her clothes didn’t quite fit anymore, but it only raised one further question, one that Mira seemingly tried to answer herself.
“You’re, like, part demon, right?” The pink-haired woman asked rhetorically. “Maybe this is some kind of demon puberty or something.”
Which… kind of made sense? Maybe? At her angriest, her hands would turn to claws, her marks would pulsate violet waves of light, and her deep brown eyes would turn a luminous gold, so who was to say that this wasn’t also some strange trait of her heritage. Shaking herself from the mental spiral of her thoughts, Rumi tried to ascertain just what her friends were thinking.
Mira looked positively - apathetic. Her facial expression was as stoic and aloof as usual, although for a brief moment, the taller woman - no - the other tall woman’s eyes briefly scanned her up and down with what almost looked like a pleased smirk. Zoey on the other hand, fluctuated between a mix of genuine concern and… and excitement? Her eyes practically twinkled as she looked up at her friends, bouncing in place in what had to have been a nervous reaction. Right?
The trio’s usual comfortable silence was replaced with one of apprehension, anxiety, and as Rumi felt her heartbeat racing in her chest, she needed to bring this growing hyperawareness of her condition to an end. “So...” She paused, rocking back and forth on her feet uneasily. “Are we good, or?...”
“Does this have anything to do with last night?” Zoey practically erupted.
To which Rumi answered truthfully. “I don’t know. I don’t think so?”
As another silence befell the group, it was Mira who decided to break it. “Yeah, speaking of... we were worried about you, y’know.” She remarked somberly, or as somberly as her flat voice could sound anyways. “If you left because of all the demon stuff we watched last night then I’m sorry. It was kind of fucked up to make you binge watch a bunch of horror slop about… You know.” She paused, gesturing towards the violet marks adorning her friend’s skin. “I just thought, I don’t know, maybe you’d learn some things about yourself. I mean, there’s a little bit of truth even in fiction, right?”
Rumi swapped a glance with Zoey, her expression full of disbelief. “That’s… kinda deep.”
“Maybe I could use it for some lyrics!” The shorter girl squealed, pulling a pen and notepad seemingly out of nowhere as she began to write with intensity.
Zoey was adorable when she was in the groove. Her tongue stuck out at the corner of her mouth as she jotted down notes and ideas. She could carry on like this for hours sometimes, which was both a blessing and a curse as the other two girls forced her to keep hydrated and rested, but it was nice to see her in her element. to see her happy. A warm smile grew on Rumi’s face, and as she looked at Mira, she cocked an eyebrow as she realized that she too had also been staring at the shorter girl adoringly.
“Well then!” Rumi burst, dusting off her hands as she laid this discussion to rest. “Now that that’s out of the way, who's ready for some California sunshine?!”
As the trio began to cheer in unison, she hoped the smile on her face would hide the anxiety she felt surging through her body. Demon or not, nothing about what was happening to her was natural, and no vacation would stop it.