Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She wasn't supposed to be here.

That much was abundantly clear the moment Rumi laid eyes on her. She was brightly dressed with pale skin and she was most definitely a human. A human standing at a stall in the middle of the capital of the demon realm. Surely she must have a death wish? Except... it almost seems as if the girl simply hasn't noticed. Oblivious, she peers at the handmade talisman on the table in front of her as if nothing is wrong. 

Is she a loose pet? Gwi-Ma won't be happy if he knows someone is keeping a human soul in his realm. They are strictly forbidden to be kept, or devoured, unless he gives the OK. A rule almost everyone follows to the letter so as not to incur his wrath.

The girl looks up to the vendor as if to ask a question, and Rumi can see that he knows . Surely in such close proximity he can smell it on her... the life. His eyes are glowing and he licks his lips, smile spreading towards lecherous. 

Tightening the strings of her own cloak-hood, Rumi steps up to the girl, fingers drifting to her hip and dipping her head down to whisper in her ear. 

"Follow my lead." The girl tenses, turns towards her with a scowl, and her eyes are so beautiful Rumi forgets herself for a moment. 

She looks sweet.

She looks pure. 

The vendor clears his throat, almost drooling as his eyes dig into Rumi like a wolf on the hunt who has just been thwarted. 

"There you are darling." Rumi speaks, tightening her grip on the shorter girl's hip but not looking away from the vendor. "I was wondering where you'd gotten off to. It's not safe to run away around here." She stresses the last line and sees the girl's eyes narrow before she seems to take a hint and actually look at her surroundings. Her eyes widen and she seems to subconsciously scoot closer into Rumi. 

The vendor isn't glamored, his large tusked teeth protrude from his mouth and his skin is a sickly purple, marks covering him sporadically. 

"R-right. Sorry. I shouldn't have." She smells sweet, standing this close, apple? Maybe honey? The scent sends a thin wave of hunger through Rumi but she easily taps it down. 

"We should move along." She tugs them away from the stall before the demon vendor can attempt to intervene. 

They take a step, then another, before Rumi hears him shout and she stiffens at the words. 

"Where are you going with that human?" It's said loudly enough that she knows he meant to draw the attention of those around them. Rumi curses under her breath as heads turn their way, eyes intrigued.

"We have to run." She says, gripping the girl's hand and pulling her through the crowded street. 

"Wait, what is this? What's happening?" The girl asks, frightened tone and unsteady steps as she tries to move with Rumi's speed. 

She doesn't reply, just guides them out of the crowded shopping district, hoping beyond hope that no one chases them. When they get to a small secluded alcove she takes off her cloak and swings it around the other girl's shoulders. 

"Put this on, it'll mask your scent." She's checking their surroundings for a few more moments before she turns back, eyes finally meeting the mortals. 

"Y-you're like... like them? But actually not? Sort of? How do you have marks but look so h-" she cuts herself off and Rumi watches the girl's cheeks pink. 

"Human?" She supplies, but the other girl just shakes her head and laughs. 

"I was gonna say hot, but that works too." 

She blinks, feels her own blush, and mentally shushes her silly little heartbeat increasing. 

"Anyway," the girl says after a few beats, "I'm Zoey. Who are you and," she gestures around them, "what is this place?" 

Rumi gives her a very brief explanation of, “demon realm, half human, we should keep moving.” She’s worried that they will be followed by any or all of the crowd from before, worried she may have to do something more than just run to protect this random girl. It's gnawing at her a little, the confusion of why she chose to step in. She didn't have to - certainly not her responsibility to protect a human. But… it was as if some part of her was driven to help without thinking. Probably the sentimental human part of her that has never gotten used to the lack of consideration for life.

But there's also something about this girl, something familiar in a way Rumi can't comprehend. 

Zoey, the human, is wide eyed and rambling in a slight panicked tone when Rumi notices someone approaching in their direction. They are tall and moving with a haste that causes Rumi to fear the worst. She's going to actually have to fight someone to protect this girl. She moves before she can think it through.

"Uh, what gives?" Zoey asks, her cheeks flushing as Rumi pushes her towards the wall of a building, trying to give the illusion that they could just be a couple looking for a private place to converse. 

She uses all her height to her advantage, attempting to lean over the shorter girl to obscure her from vision and resting her palm against the wall. 

"We're being followed." She says quietly, eyes shifting towards the shape in her periphery. 

"Get away from her!" The person’s speed picks up, approaching with a definite intent to confront them and maybe even attack Rumi. She reacts as if it’s the latter.

It takes a split second from the moment the girl enters Rumi's range for her to move, gripping the hand and arm and flipping her to the ground with unnatural strength. 

The thing is? This is a second human. She notices as soon as she hears the, "oomf," as air rushes from the girl's lungs. She has long pink hair and a lithe frame. 

"Wh-Mira?!" Zoey says in shock, jumping in front of Rumi and crouching down next to the prone human. 

"Ow." The girl groans before focusing her eyes to glare at Rumi. "You keep your hands off her." She slowly sits up and ushers Zoey behind her. 

"I-" Rumi is lost. This makes no sense to her. How are there two humans just... walking through the Demon realm? 

"Wait no, it's okay Mira. She saved me from getting eaten and I think she thought you were possibly coming to eat me too, right?" Big brown eyes look at her with a surprising surety.

"I did. Uh... I'm sorry I flipped you." Rumi reaches a hand down to help her up. 

"It's... fine I guess." She doesn't take Rumi's hand. "You look different from those other ones. What are you?" 

Huh. A question that's bounced around in Rumi's mind her whole life. She knows she's half demon half human, and has some memories from her time in the human realm. She's also been called a "half-bred mutt" enough times to put the pieces together. 

"I'm-"

"They're over there." She hears someone shout, cutting her off. 

"We have to go. Now." She reaches for Zoey's hand again and starts to run but to no avail, it's a small group of demons, but they have them surrounded.

This won't do, she won't be able to get these two to safety by just running. She's going to have to fight. 

She lets go of Zoey’s hand and eyes the demons, calculating her odds. 

"You should let us pass." She says in a low tone, putting as much danger into as she can muster. 

"What? Don't want to share your little snacks?" The largest demon's form starts to shift, a grotesque ichor dripping from his mouth. "Don't be selfish." 

"Rumi, what are we gonna do?" Zoey asks, tone uneven. 

She watches as Mira scoops something from the ground, a long stick maybe, and holds it firm. 

"Are we fighting them? It seems like we're fighting them." Mira says, backing towards Rumi so she can cover her. For only having met her a few minutes ago, they both seem to have some faith in her to fight for them. It's... uncommon. For the last twenty-ish years everyone she's met has made her feel so inadequate and on edge. This is new for her, and it steadies her resolve. 

"Yeah, we’re fighting. Heads up - I may look a little different but I promise, I'm still fighting on your side.”

She feels a power well up inside of her, something she's called on only a handful of times when situations are dire, and she allows her body to change. Her arms and legs extend, patterns glowing as her fingernails grow like claws. She feels the horns protrude from her head and she knows her eyes must be glowing gold. A thin pointed tail whips behind her like an annoyed cat. Finally she feels the heat in her palm as an ethereal sword manifests for her. 

"Holy-"

"Shit." She hears from both Mira and Zoey.

"Wait, is that? Is she that half breed bounty hunter?" One of the demons shouts to the group, but Rumi doesn't wait for them to consider it. 

She's fast, taking out the first demon with just a few swipes. She feels a fist to her side, catching her in the ribs, and she spins, stabbing through the chest and watching as the demon fades to ash like burning paper. Rumi can hear the humans defending themselves and checks to make sure they are still okay. She darts back to them, pulling a demon away with her clawed hand right as he was about to grab Mira's hair from behind. She feels her claws dig into his neck and she squeezes, hard, before tossing him to the ground and thrusting her sword in. Choosing not to waste any time, she spins to the next one, who seems to have reconsidered this fight and he holds up his hands in mock surrender. 

She hears Zoey scream and turns to her. Somehow the shorter girl has what looks like a knife in each hand, but one of the demons has her grappled around the waist, pinning her arms to her sides. He opens his mouth like he's going to bite her and a deep growl rumbles from inside Rumi’s chest, unexpected. She rushes them. Mira gets there first, hitting him hard over the head with the makeshift staff she'd found. He releases Zoey and Rumi watches in amazement as Mira spins, using the staff to help propel herself to roundhouse kick the demon off his feet. He crumples to the ground with a thud.

Just who are these girls? Rumi thinks, watching as Zoey throws a knife with precision and it digs into a demon's shoulder. 

It doesn't take them long, the three of them moving in a fluid tandem that seems almost practiced. Like they've moved around each other before. 

Out of breath and standing where they've just dispatched multiple demon's, Rumi looks at the girls. They are looking back at her, eyes wide, and she realizes she's still in her demonic form. She closes her eyes, takes a few deep breaths, and feels her body start to shrink down to its original size. 

"I have to ask again," Mira starts, breathing heavily, "just what are you?" 

... ... 

Rumi takes them to her home/office, not really sure where else to go. She hands them each a fresh set of clothes, asking that they change into them to help mask their scents. Mira asks what she means by that, only two feet from Rumi, and the lavender haired girl sighs. 

Where Zoey smelled sweet like apples, Mira smells more like cinnamon or cloves. Together they're basically like a walking Apple Pie fresh out of the oven, ready for any odd demon to come and take them. 

They smell good in a way she hasn't experienced in her small living space before and having just accessed the more demon side of herself, Rumi's control is quite thin. She wavers, body stepping towards Mira without even thinking. 

Luckily she stops herself before she gets inappropriately close to the girl. The animalistic side of her had wanted to bury her face in Mira's neck and breathe the scent in deeper, which, kind of awkward for someone she just met. 

Her cheeks heat and she knows her marks are glowing. She turns away. 

"You smell like human's. It's... enticing for a demon. We don't want any more trouble from the masses." 

"So... because you're half demon, you smell different?" Zoey asks, looking over the clothes she's been provided. They'll be large on her, but they are some of the nicest and cleanest things Rumi has right now. 

"Yeah exactly. It's why I gave you my cloak, too. I dont smell completely demon, but I dont smell human either. Or at least that's-" she stops short, unable to continue because Zoey has stepped to her, grabbed her arm and is smelling Rumi's wrist?? 

Her brain goes into overdrive at the contact. When was the last time someone touched her gently? Ten years? Fifteen? Maybe ever?

"You smell kinda fruity. Is that body wash? Do they have body wash here? I mean this place," Zoey looks around Rumi's apartment, "seems mostly normal. So what's the difference between the demon world and our world anyway?" It takes Rumi's brain some time to catch up, still stuck on the ' she's holding my wrist she's holding my wrist she's holding my wrist ' loop. 

Luckily, her cat answers the question for her, or at least becomes an example of one of the differences. Derpy, her large tiger-like cat, comes lumbering out of her bedroom, fur glowing its slight purple hue and eyes bright yellow. He seems to just notice them, and where most cats might scrunch up or poof their fur at the fright, Derpy is more dog-like in response. 

He bounds over to Zoey, who squeals in delight, gratefully letting go of Rumi's wrist. 

"What is that?" Mira asks from her spot in the room, eyeing Derpy with caution. 

Meanwhile, Zoey is already scratching behind his ear and saying, "who's a good boy?" In a baby-talk voice. 

"He's my cat. He was… uh... he belonged to a friend but some things happened and now he's mine." 

She doesn't want to tell them that her friend traded his soul so Gwi-Ma wouldn't hurt her . Might be a bit too heavy for tonight. 

"Anyway, do you two have any idea how you got here? Travel between the realms shouldn't be something you can do by accident." Not anymore, she thinks to herself. 

"Oh, uh, let's see... We were just visiting my home town during break and there was a Summer Festival being held so we decided to walk around. I know my home pretty well so I'm not sure how we got lost. I was just going from stall to stall, there are so many creative people out there. Next thing I know, I look up to ol’ drooly purple face and…. then you swoop in. That’s how it happened for me, anyway." Zoey tells them, fingers scritching at Derpy the whole time. 

They both turn to Mira, who has her head in her hands and is laughing to herself. 

"Of course that's how it happened for you." Mira says, a fondness to her tone even in the teasing. "The first part is how I remember it, too. But Zoey seems to have missed the part where the street got suddenly dark and seemed to open up like a portal. I was down a ways when I saw her on the wrong side of it. The edges of it started to close right when I saw you swoop in and kidnap my-" Mira shakes her head at herself, "I didn't know what was happening and then I got this foolish idea I could save her so I just ran. It closed almost as soon as I was on this side of it."

Zoey stands and takes Mira's hand. "You're not foolish, Mir, and you probably could have saved me. I saw how you fought against those demons outside. You're amazing." Zoey keeps her hands on Mira but turns back to Rumi. "Both of you are amazing. You with the improvised weapon and you with the magical girl sword from thin air ? Which, can we talk about that part now?" 

"Hey, don't sell yourself short. Do you just carry daggers with you?" 

The shortest of the group ducks her head and shrugs. "I always had at least one knife with me when I was in the states, just in case."

Rumi feels struck at that, "Oh wait, you're American?" 

"Korean-American, yeah. Divorced pare-wait do you know the human world? Have you been there?" 

Oh. That. How to sum up her childhood experiences in a way that doesn't feel like trauma-dumping on strangers. 

"You, uh, don't have to tell us if it's weird." Mira suggests, and Rumi shakes herself, giving the girl a questioning look. "Your face sort of went," she imitates, making something between a surprised and sad face, which makes Rumi smile. "So I figured maybe it's personal."

Taking a deep breath, Rumi gestures to the seating in case the other girls want to relax, and she sits on the floor at one end of a small table. Derpy sits behind her like a statue and she has a distinct fear that he's going to drool on her. 

"I was born there, in South Korea, that’s all. I don't remember much, I hadn't started school yet when I was- when I got to the demon realm. Best guess I was four or five, but time is sometimes off here." She shrugs, not really looking to go deeper. 

"We're also from South Korea, well- part time for me, but that's where I met Mira." 

"I've been here for so long now, I can't help but wonder what the human realm is like." Rumi admits.

"Have you ever thought about coming back?" Mira asks.

Yes. Often and with a lot of confusing feelings attached. 

"Sometimes, but it's not actually a simple task, which has me a little concerned about how we are going to get the two of you back to your realm.”

Rumi goes on to give them a rundown of the Demon Realm. There are two gates on the East and West coasts of Gwi-Ma's land. With the power of a million souls in his possession, he also has his own way of sending people to and from realms without a Gate. But he is not an option for getting these girls home safely. Picking one of the Gates will have to do, unless they luck into finding another tear between realms. 

Both of the Gates are heavily guarded, a tight ship as it were. When the Demon Ruler gets you under contract, he doesn't intend to let you escape. From what Rumi knows, there are at least two greater demons at each gate, which she explains are vastly harder to fight than the low-level grunts they fought in the street.

She explains to the other two girls how there are demons who are created here, the ones that they saw out in the city for example, and they tend to look more monstrous. But there are also human contracted demons who will look at least a little more human, though not to the same extent as Rumi. Demons who rank high with Gwi-Ma are somehow bestowed some of his power, increasing their size and capabilities and making them “Greater” Demons. 

It’s a lot to process all at once and they talk well into the evening. After some time Rumi hears one of their stomachs grumble and kicks herself. Feeling like a bad host, not that she's had the opportunity to host humans before, she jumps up. 

"I'm so sorry- are you guys hungry? I don't have much on hand. Mostly just a few Cup Ramen… and… peanut butter. Lychee juice or water for drink options. Uh... I can run out and get you guys something else-" She’s opening and closing cupboards in her small kitchen, begging food to appear. 

"Whoa slow down, it's okay, ramen sounds perfect." Mira says in a low tone, calm in a way that makes Rumi's tight posture start to ease as well. It's just hard, she feels awkward trying to be social with anyone, let alone two humans. The closest she gets are the fresh arrivals from human contracted demons and they’ve already sold their souls. 

"Is it... normal?" Zoey asks, peaking around Rumi to peer at the bare kitchen cupboards. Her fingers are on Rumi's shoulder for balance as she raises up on her tiptoes. It makes Rumi’s skin buzz. 

"Define normal?" She asks, forcing a smile and trying not to be awkward. Physical touch apparently fits into that 'normal' for Zoey. 

"Well uh," she lets go of Rumi and steps back, hand going up to twirl at the ends of her own hair, "this is the demon realm right? So is it like... made of bugs or edible fire magic or something?" 

Rumi blinks at Zoey, watches as a blush creeps up the other girl's neck and cheeks. Technically the question makes sense if you're somewhere new, but, it's just so ridiculous to think about. 

A laugh bursts out from Mira, echoing in the space and giving Rumi what feels like permission to also laugh at the question. 

"It's just noodles and dried meat. Beef or shrimp for what I have. Not like, human or anything." She teases, and Mira's laugh starts up again. 

"I appreciate you so much for that." Mira says after a beat. 

"You two! Be nice. I was just making sure." It's playful, cheeks deep red with embarrassment but able to laugh at herself. 

As Rumi prepares a cup ramen for each of them, she leans against the counter and thinks over the events of her afternoon to evening. This could technically get her in serious trouble, housing two humans without Gwi-Ma's knowledge. She could end up right back in the palm of that monster's hand for him to pluck and toy with. It’s one of the most frightening outcomes she could imagine.

But, something about these girls, they feel safe to her. After so many years of being in this harsh and unforgiving realm, Rumi has decided to lead a little with her gut instead of her fear. She pushes it down, deciding with a sureness that she'll do whatever it takes to protect these girls. 

This feels important. This feels right. 

Chapter Text

Mira has known she doesn't like boys since she was fifteen. She learned this about herself after her parents introduced her to this nice boy from an equally wealthy family and encouraged them to spend time together. When they met, she was thirteen and he was fourteen. He was tall, he actually had abs, and he had different training sticks for different fighting styles. He offered to teach her and she eagerly accepted, thrilled at the idea of getting to hit something. 

When they spent time together Mira started to open up about her parents. She didn't want to be what they wanted, a perfect little princess who barely makes a peep. It was a suffocating life they wanted her to lead. They were sparring when she told him this and he had just gotten her onto her back before he stood and offered his hand with a, "I think a warrior princess suits you better anyway." 

Not one to let on if she enjoyed people, but he was someone she actually looked forward to seeing. 

But then it went wrong. He had kissed her one day almost two years later, pulling her to him so that she felt trapped against him. She shoved him back, not feeling giddy or excited like she thought a first kiss should be. Instead she felt betrayed. 

His eyes had turned cold in his embarrassment at being rejected. He insisted she must feel something or she wouldn't have spent so much time with him. He tried to say she would come around and didn’t know any better. He acted like her parents, like if he could just control her then it would all be perfect. Perfect for them, anyway.

She had felt a kind of heartbreak when that friendship ended, but not because she had any romantic feelings for him. She just missed the friend she thought she had.

That's when Mira knew she didn't like boys. If she did, surely she would have liked him for who she had thought he was. She would have kissed him back. 

What Mira hadn't considered in the years after was that she did, in fact, like girls. 

Her relationship with her family wasn't close and she had all but gone no-contact with them by the time she was twenty. She started working at an old record store and that is where she met Zoey. Zoey, a student at the nearby university who was studying to make exciting and beautiful music. A girl with soft skin, brown eyes, a kind smile and a sweet laugh. A girl with ideas and thoughts who shared them freely in a way Mira could never dream of. 

It hit her like a lightbulb moment, weeks after they'd started spending free time together. Zoey was showing her a new song and she had rested her hand on Mira's with an excited squeeze when the song started to build. It didn't last long and Zoey hadn't seemed to notice the way Mira's world tilted on its axis. This is what it was supposed to feel like. An excitement and a desire to touch them again, longer, more. All she started to want was to be around Zoey. 

Mira was in her twenties when she realized she liked girls in that soft way that makes you want to make them breakfast and keep them safe, this is true, but the second lightbulb moment was happening now, in front of her. 

Life the past twentyfour hours had not gone as planned. In fact she could have never imagined she would be here, in the apartment of a half-demon, witnessing this. 

Rumi had arrived back from her outing in a frenzied rush. She'd addressed them with, "Mystery is on his way here, you two have to hide in my room and hope he doesn't smell you. Probably my most recent clothes should help. Here."

What triggered said lightbulb moment for Mira was this, Rumi, a very physically fit woman with those patterns down her arms and legs and a thick braid of lavender hair, stripping herself right in front of them. 

She handed Zoey her shirt while she walked to the bedroom and was kicking off her pants while she looked for new clothes. 

It was a revelation. Pale skin, marked with different shades of purple like arrows pointing this way and that. She was beautiful, magnetic in a way she herself didn't seem to realize. The feeling this elicited in Mira wasn’t exactly the kind and soft feeling she got when Zoey took her hand that time. This was a more feral feeling, an itch in her hands to touch in a vastly different way. 

Zoey elbowed her in the side. "You're staring." She whispered and Mira felt her face heat. Rumi seemed to have noticed too and looked shy, covering herself. 

"I'm sorry, I'm not usually so open like that, I'm not sure why I-" 

A knock at the door and Mira, Zoey, and Derpy were being ushered to the bedroom, the door swiftly closed behind them. 

"I hope I didn't make her uncomfortable." 

Mira whispers, leaving Zoey to eaves drop at the door and choosing instead to quietly sit on the bed. The bed, mind you, where Zoey and Mira slept last night. Together. Under the same blanket. 

Mira is confident in almost everything she does, but this? Having some sort of feelings for girls? It makes her feel inferior in some way. She feels like she should have realized sooner, and now she's falling behind, unable to sleep in bed next to her “friend” without thinking about how close they are to touching. 

–

Last night Rumi slept on the couch. They all had talked well into the night, planning how to get Zoey and Mira back to the human realm. They had asked her more than once why she was doing this for them and everytime Rumi would get this glazed look like she was remembering something unpleasant before saying something along the lines of, "it's the right thing to do." 

So their host slept on her own couch, offering them the bed, and a few hours into their sleep Mira woke to the sounds of someone groaning as if in pain. As if scared. 

She tiptoed out of bed to the slightly ajar door and looked out to find Rumi tangled in her blanket, tossing and turning with a pained expression on her face. She mumbled in her sleep something like, "no, don't leave," and then curled into a ball with her muscles so tight you'd think she was being physically attacked. "I don't know you." She mumbled again and when she sobbed Mira made up her mind. She may not know this girl at all, but she's not going to just stand there and let her suffer. 

She opens the door enough to slip out and almost trips over Derpy who is belly up on the floor, tongue hanging out. One eye opens to peer at Mira and she shushes him. He goes right back to sleep. 

She stays back about a foot or two, knowing some people wake up from nightmares in fight mode. 

"Rumi," a soft whisper, "Hey it's okay. Wake up. You're okay." She has to get louder as she goes until finally she reaches out an arm to gently shake Rumi's shoulder. That does the trick and Rumi's eyes fly open, arm coming up to grip onto Mira's hand that's touching her. 

"Hey hey it's just me." She whispers urgently, not wanting a repeat of this woman flipping her onto her back. 

Not like this, anyway , her brain supplies, unhelpful.

"I- huh?" Rumi looks around the room. "Mira?" She asks, eyes focusing now. "Is everything okay?"

Mira nods, aware that Rumi is still gripping her arm. "Everything is fine, it just... sounded like you were having a nightmare." 

"Oh." Rumi blushes, realizes she's still holding Mira and pulls her hand back like it was burned. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"No it's okay. The weird day of coming to another realm has made it hard to sleep anyway." She attempts humor and Rumi smiles. 

Good. She's glad to see a smile instead of that pained look. Whatever haunted her in her dream must have been truly frightening. 

"Well, thank you, for waking me." Rumi sits up, stretches and Mira has to look away. Her loose shirt rides up showing toned muscles and shame fills Mira at how it makes her heart rate pick up when Rumi is clearly having a hard time. 

Now is not the time, mind. 

Mira clears her throat and scoots back a little further. "Do you... want to talk about it?" 

She offers and Rumi stills, a far off look in her eyes. 

"To be honest, I'd rather get it as far out of my mind as possible." 

She's filled with a million questions about this girl. How did she truly end up here? What led her to working as a bounty hunter? How does that even work in the demon realm? Does she miss the human realm? Does she want to come back with them?

That last one feels the most important. Because what if Rumi hadn't meant to end up in this realm? Could Mira and Zoey maybe repay her kindness by giving her a chance out there in the human realm? Help her like she's offering to help them? 

Derpy perks up, looks at the bedroom door, and Zoey peeks out with her hair a mess and her eyes half open. 

"Y'okay?" She asks sleepily, stumbling to the couch and sitting next to Rumi, not even asking before she rests her head on her shoulder. "Why're we up?" 

Mira smiles fondly at her sleepy Zoe, delighted to be in her presence, and soon they all three end up going back to bed with a much lighter mood than before. 

–

Now though, in the room trying desperately to hide her "human" scent through force of will, Mira feels anxious. Rumi's plan to get them home starts with this, with her gathering information and supplies. She doesn't have much on hand and it's apparently a two day trip to the gate on foot so they are going to need gear. She also plans to get them weapons, just in case, and that's allegedly what the man who just got here can do for them. A Gok-do for Mira, if he can acquire one, and a set of Shin-kal for Zoey. 

Mira and Zoey can do next to nothing to help prepare, and it's been an infuriating few hours of just waiting. She isn't good at waiting, she's a doer who takes charge and gets things done. Relying on someone, especially someone new, has been a test on her pride if nothing else. 

Zoey has seemed equally restless, peeking out the window and the peep-hole all day trying to see when Rumi might get home. 

Then when the girl finally did get home, she stripped in front of them and broke Mira's brain for a second. Which she feels bad about now, not wanting to ever make someone uncomfortable in that way.

"I wish I could look at this guy, he sounds cute." Is the last thing Mira wanted to hear come from Zoey right now. 

That's one of the problems she has run into in her realization of her sexuality. Yes, she likes girls. But she has no idea how to tell if other girls like girls. Specifically, if Zoey likes girls. Or Rumi. 

Wait-

"Oh shit." Zoey tiptoes quietly over to her and leans down, "they are by the bedroom door now." She whispers and holds very still in Mira's bubble. 

The door handle turns and Mira looks around for anything they might defend themselves with. 

"See, just Derpy." Rumi says, the door opening enough to show the large cat creature. 

She moves to shut the door again and they hear the male voice ask, "Can he come out? I haven't seen him in ages." Derpy gets so excited he phases through the floor on their side and they barely see him pop up on the other through the crack as Rumi closes the door. 

The man speaks again, still close enough to hear, "I wonder if he misses Jinu." But whatever Rumi responds with is too far away to make out. 

Mira lets out a silent sigh of relief, hand absently moving to squeeze Zoey's. What a strange, fascinating situation they've found themselves in. 

Not often the one to initiate contact, Mira wonders if it's unwelcome, but Zoey turns her hand over and squeezes back. 

It takes a while for the man, the "mystery," to leave, but when he does Rumi seems exhausted in a way more than just physical. 

"So uh... how did that go?" She's the first to speak, surprisingly enough, as Zoey seems to be lightly snoozing on the bed. 

Rumi gives a soft smile and shrugs a little, purple marks seeming more dull than before. 

"He's going to get what I need, though it may take a day or two." Derpy steps behind Rumi, bumping her hand with his head. "I'm sorry you'll be here a little longer than we planned." 

"That's okay." Mira tells her, trying to add surety to her tone despite the concern at being so far out of her depth. "We just really appreciate you doing this for us." 

Rumi rubs at the back of her neck, "Yeah well, keeps things interesting. Um-" Mira notes the way Rumi is looking her over, eyes assessing the borrowed clothing, "You should keep that, it uh... looks nice on you." 

Glancing down at herself, Mira flicks at invisible lint, "Are you sure?" 

"Yeah definitely." They are silent for a while, save for Zoey's soft breathing. 

"Hey Rumi?" The lavender haired girl raises her head, meets her eyes. 

"Yeah?" 

"I'm not sure how we'll ever repay you for this but," Mira takes a deep breath, putting as much sincerity into her tone as she can muster, "you'll always have a place in the human realm with us if you ever get tired of all this. Okay? Not just as repayment for this massive thing you're doing for us but also because you're good company." 

Sharing thoughts so freely is new to Mira. She'd usually leave that to the girl sleeping next to her, but she felt like it needed to be said. Rumi seems sad and clearly her life here hasn't been sunshine and roses. Maybe, if Mira were to start believing in fate, they were meant to meet and bring this unusual and beautiful girl home. 

Back to the human realm where maybe she could be... free? Is that what this feeling is? That Rumi is trapped. 

Trapped here in a harsh life and foolishly Mira wants to rescue her. How she didn't realize she's gay sooner she will never understand. 

"Thank you, I..." she drifts off, looking around her admittedly bare bedroom, "I'll keep that in mind." 

They share a smile, soft, and it makes Mira's stomach erupt in butterflies which she just can't abide by. 

"Plus, do they even have a bathhouse here? There's one we've gone to, back home, that feels so relaxing and after a hard day of fighting demons I bet you could use a good bath house moment." 

"D'someone say bathhouse?" Zoey blinks awake, struggling to sit up and join the conversation. "It's s'good. Warm bath. Oh and couch. I miss couch." 

Mira laughs, "Not to brag but my couch is simply the best there is." 

Rumi laughs with her. "Then we have to get you back to it, right?" She has more life in her now, determination flooding her again more like the Rumi they saw yesterday. "Step 1, weapons, step 2, gate demons, step 3, couch."

"A perfect plan." Zoey affirms, sticking her hand out in front of them. Recognizing the gesture, Mira places her hand on top of Zoey's. 

"We've got this." They turn their eyes to Rumi who looks unsure before carefully putting her hand over theirs.

"Let's get you home."