Archive of Our Own

They've been back home for only two days now. 

Rumi's been trying to readjust and get back into the swing of things (now that she has no use for being stressed out.. or worse). Both Mira and Zoey settled in the second they arrived. 

Honestly, Rumi is a bit envious of how quickly they adapted. She's always felt an underlying jealousy seeing the two together. Is that bad? Is it wrong of her to want what they have?

How comfortable they've always been with each other; how easily they can catch on to what the other is going to say; how she's had to isolate herself from them for so long. 

Maybe now, and only now, can Rumi finally be rid of this jealousy. Maybe she can finally be with them. 

Oh, but it's just in a platonic way, of course.

Currently, our (former, perhaps?) Demon Queen is sitting in her bedroom. It feels.. cold. Every room in their penthouse has felt unnaturally cold. However, whenever she asks Zoey and Mira if they feel it, they both deny it with such certainty that it makes Rumi feel like she's going insane!

It could be that the Underworld was always inherently warmer.. but Rumi is getting irritated by how everything just feels cooler than normal. 

A single knock on the door. It's heavy, but clearly restrained. Mira. 

Rumi sighs, lingering on her bed for a moment before eventually getting up. She shouldn't be feeling nostalgic for a place that she literally still sleeps in. 

Mira's waiting.. Yet Rumi can't find it in herself to approach the door with urgency. There's no need. They've all changed, which includes Mira being more patient when it comes to getting Rumi to leave her room. 

With a click, the door swings open, surprisingly revealing both Mira AND Zoey behind it. Rumi raises a brow, scared that she might be dragged into some totally random activity that Zoey decided to book as an impulsive decision. That thought is quickly debunked. 

The songwriter speaks up first, stepping closer to the door frame. 

"We know that you've been feeling.." 

"Cold," Mira adds under her breath. 

"Yeah! So, we were thinking, why don't we have a sleepover?" 

A sleepover? Had they not done that while they were in the Underworld? Of course, Rumi wouldn't even attempt to deny Zoey's request, considering how Mira seems pretty set on it as well. The only acceptable answers are yes and ABSOLUTELY! 

With partial reluctance, Rumi gives in, rubbing the nape of her neck. 

"Alright. Let me just change first, okay?" 

"You sure we can't stay and-" 

Mira elbows Zoey in the shoulder, causing the shorter one to yelp. They share a glance, somehow communicating a few minutes worth of a conversation within milliseconds. 

Zoey huffs, stepping away, while Mira closes the door for Rumi. 

She has always done these little gestures for them. In the sea of her anger and aggression lies a quiet care that only her girls get to see. 

Again, Rumi doesn't rush changing. They don't have any deadlines. No shows or tours to rehearse songs for 50 times over. Just the three of them and trying to get to grips that they don't need to hunt anymore. An uncomfortable peace. At least they have each other to rely on. 

After approximately 6 minutes, Rumi walks into Zoey's room, assuming that's where they'll have their sleepover. She pulls up in a very basic crop top, grey sweatpants, and.. her hair down! It twists and coils, shifting more and more with each step closer to the bedroom.

Is she seriously getting nervous? These are two people that she's shared a majority of her life with. Why is she getting so anxious? 

Her hand trembles, hovering over the handle. Rumi can very faintly hear movement on the other side. This shouldn't be nerve-wracking. Come on, Rumi. It's just Zoey and Mira. 

With a light push, Rumi inevitably enters the room. The shuffling from within pauses. Then, an excited voice, beckoning Rumi to join them. Each footfall of hers drags on the wooden floor, prompting concerned reactions from the duo already relaxing on the massive bed 5 feet away from her.

"Rumi? Are you already tired? We can skip all the stuff Zoey had planned-" 

"Hey!" 

"-And just head to bed early." 

It's sweet of Mira to be this worried for her. Zoey is the same, but it's more so in her expression. Rumi, not wanting to be a party pooper, waves her hand in dismissal. 

"No, no. I can stay up. I guess I'm still trying to get used to.. all this." 

Using the hand already in motion, she gestures towards her body. Ever since defeating Gwi-Ma, it had always felt.. heavier. Bigger. It's put a tiny dent in Mira's ego, for she's no longer the tallest of the trio. They'll also have to figure out a way to explain that to the fans. Maybe Rumi now wears taller heels? Eh. That's a problem for later.

Zoey jumps into action, hopping off of the bed adorned with all of her plushies and taking Rumi's hand. If anyone could get Rumi to cave in, it's her. That's not why she got up, though. 

"Don't be like that. If you're tired, you're tired. We can just postpone all the stuff for.. next sleepover! Now, get on the bed. Mira's getting all grumpy." 

Rumi quickly peeks up from the lyricist's face, checking to see if she's correct. Indeed she is. Their visual is visually getting upset that they're standing there and not laying down with her already. Seeing this makes Rumi wonder if Zoey has eyes on the back of her head. 

To Mira's delight, the two climb into bed, Rumi being their designated woman in the middle. With that tenderness kept for her closest friends, she pushes a few strands of Rumi's wispy hair away from her face. Two golden eyes peer up at her, bounding around Mira's own visage. Zoey joins their little pile, pressed up against Rumi's other side. Sandwiching their half-demon. Rumi already feels that warmth she's used to.

"Oh, right!" Zoey suddenly puts up a hand, waiting for Rumi to do the same. As for why she didn't get Mira to do it was because she saw how focused she was on tidying their leader's hair. Rumi raises a somewhat open palm, to which Zoey uses to clap twice. The lights instantaneously turn off. 

"I'm so glad I decided to get those installed. You guys should totally invest in them! They're life-changing." 

Both Rumi and Mira blink from the sudden darkness, one being forced to squint while the other shuts her eyes completely. Zoey simply curls up against Rumi a little more, hoping to keep her all nice and toasty. 

"Little warning would've been nice." 

Mira remarks, gaining a sheepish giggle from Zoey. She shifts, fitting in perfectly beside Rumi, as if the three are meant to be like this. Mira puts an arm around the both of them, squeezing them all together. Nothing could've prepared Rumi for the feeling of pure serenity to hit her like a truck. 

How can they do that so easily? Ground her like this? It's a gift she wishes she had herself.

Something else she wishes she had was a little more self-control. Rumi can barely keep herself awake after being placed in such a snug position. Curse this all.. There was a reason she didn't want to sleep right now. Yet, she managed to forget that amidst all the hugging and toying with her hair.

Rumi falls asleep. 

Her eyes shoot open. Chest heaving as she looks around in her panicked state.

She is not awake.

PART ONE: THE KING

'Not again.. Why does this keep happening?' The answer to which Rumi is very much aware of. All of the guilt and fear she thought she had pushed down manifests itself into this. One nightmare that she gets gifted every single time she goes to bed.

There are two main possibilities for her night terrors. One, a dream where she gives up everything for a shot at achieving the Golden Honmoon, just for it to fail anyway. Disappointing Celine, her mother, all the hunters who came before.

The other, a highly vivid recreation of the Idol Awards. Of Mira and Zoey's trust being broken. Of them pulling out their weapons. In some cases, she wakes up with a sharp pain in her chest, gasping out for air before shutting her mouth in fear of her colleagues hearing it.

This time.. Rumi realises that this isn't like any dream she's had before. It's empty. The concept of pure nothingness surrounds her. Her body is unfeeling, or so it seems.

The light crackling of a fire rings out behind her. It crescendos, becoming more and more unbearable for Rumi to hear. The heat from the flame it belongs to is equally as agonising. An infamous violet blaze encapsulates her. This is too familiar. It reminds her of when..

.. No.

"Why.. why are you doing this? Why now? I thought I finally got rid of you," Rumi hisses through her bared teeth, being forced down onto her knees from the overwhelming presence. 

What graces her ears is a voice she was hoping she'd never have to hear again.

"You? Get rid of me? That's funny.. I've always been here, Rumi. Biding my time. I know what you're really afraid of. I know that you have purposefully been avoiding your mentor."

Rumi strains herself trying to get up. Despite her exhaustion, she decides to object. "No. Celine would tell me if she wanted to talk. We both just need some.. time."

"You and I both know that's a lie. You can't stand the thought of seeing her again and hating what you've become."

That doesn't hurt as much as Rumi thought it would. The thought is there, always lingering in the back of her mind, yet she knows that Celine only wanted what she thought was best for her. 

“Celine didn't know any better. None of us did.”

"And what of your friends? Mira and Zoey-"

"Don't bring them into this. They don't need me to be their burden. Not anymore." With her bandmates being brought up, Rumi can’t help her reaction. It really struck a chord with her.

Gwi-Ma doesn't reply instantly. Instead, he lets Rumi take a breather after that dramatic entrance of his. "Why, I was hoping to help you, Rumi. You want to be closer with them, yes? You long to have that special connection they already have, and you hate how you want it so badly, don't you?"

Her claws clench into tight fists, nails digging into her palms. Rumi tries to find a way to retort - to deny what pathetic manipulation Gwi-Ma is trying to perform on her. The worst part is that she can't.

She lets her hands unfurl, defeated, but still curious.

"What do you seriously think you could do to help me?"

"You want to be theirs. You want them to be yours. Yours and only yours. I can sense that selfishness you have when it comes to them, and I want you to indulge in it. Use my will to enforce yours onto them."

If Rumi had the gall to scoff, she would. Oh, and she does. 

'Selfishness? Is that what this is?' Gwi-Ma thinks that this is something Rumi has been craving. That having Zoey and Mira would help fulfil this dark desire of hers. That's.. not as farfetched as it sounds.

Rumi hates herself for it, but half of her wants what Gwi-Ma is saying to be true. She wants the notion of having some sort of control in this situation. She doesn't want to constantly be off to the side, watching her two closest friends get even closer without her.

There's still that wariness from all that Gwi-Ma has done. But this? Offering his own power for, what, being with her girls? Doesn't seem like a fair trade.

"I already have whatever weird magic you're trying to give me. But, is there really a way to..?" Rumi lets her words hang in the air, awaiting a response.

The silence is enough to confirm it. Running her hands through her hair and letting them rest on her neck, the Demon Queen contemplates her decision. 

".. What do I do?"

PART TWO: THE POET

“Woah! It’s so dark in here.. Wait, am I..” Zoey glances down at her hands. At least, she thinks that they’re her hands. Something about this place is disorienting. It’d be almost nauseating if she weren’t so fascinated by it.

Unable to see due to, well, the lack of a light source, Zoey tries to walk in a direction. Unfortunately, she stops short, her vision returning. Her surroundings confirm her running theory.

“YES! This is a dream! I wonder if I could give myself superpowers.. HRRR!!” 

Sadly, despite all the grunting and exerting force to will herself into having the ability to talk to animals, Zoey’s attempts are fruitless. She huffs, fixing up her hair.

That’s when she remembers that she’s alone here. It’d be nice to have either Rumi or Mira with her in this mindscape. Being with both is preferred.

“Hmm.. maybe I can make this dream end? Err, wait, no, that won’t work. Aww, and I’d have to wake up.. Probably.” 

Wanting to get a sense of her new environment, Zoey begins to roam around. It's strikingly familiar. The rocky terrain, the dim teal sky, everything about this place is down to a tee. 

Of course.. the Underworld. She would have recognised it earlier, but got a little caught up in the whole lucid dreaming thing.

As if her prayers from before were answered, a voice calls out to her. 

Can it be? Her Rumi? Well, not her Rumi, but lucid dream version Rumi.

“I-I’m here, Rumi! Gee, why’s it so hot all of a sudden??” 

Our lyricist feels a sudden heat rush up her spine. The atmosphere even feels heavier.. Zoey slowly turns around, her hands ready to pull out her shin-kal at a moment's notice. Of course, it wouldn’t work, as this is a dream.

What meets Zoey’s gaze is a welcome surprise. 

Wild mauve hair that's nearly as long as she is tall. Eyes of gilded and sinful nature. A face that Zoey wishes she could pepper with her kisses. Patterns scarring her body, yet our rapper can see right past them.

“Rumi. You.. you're here. It'd be crazy if it was really you, though. I mean, what kinda dream would that be?” 

The half-demon doesn't reply with words at first. Her eyes linger on Zoey's face, drifting down her figure steadily. Then, a hand reaches out to grasp her chin, holding it with a certain calm that leaves Zoey speechless. All she can do is stare as Rumi begins to talk.

“You feel real to me, Zoey. And you can feel my thumb do this, can't you?” As she brushes it over her slightly parted lips.

Zoey doesn't know if her mind is simply making this dream version of Rumi hotter or if Rumi is seriously acting like this. Whatever answer it is, she doesn't care as long as this KEEPS GOING!

Our love-struck girl blinks twice, totally out of it, before regaining her bearings.

“Oh, uh, yeah! Haha.. Sooo, it's really you? We won't remember anything when we wake up, will we? Please say yes.”

Rumi's eyes avert their focus on Zoey, taking a moment to think. They promptly return, now a little regretful.

“No. I think we'll remember everything. Why? Were you hoping to confess something to me?”

DAMN.. Rumi basically called it. She even smiles a bit, causing Zoey's heart to beat faster than ever. Did she read her mind? Do Rumi's demon powers include telepathy?! 

Zoey scoffs, pushing her leader’s face away (as they had somehow become intimately close to each other). 

“What?? No, hah, that's silly! Um, anyway, how'd you even get here?”

“Don't worry about that. I'm here now, aren't I? It's a shame that Mira isn't here, though. Oh well. Best to make the most out of this weird dream, huh?”

Rumi takes the hand that pushed her away into her own, feeling it subtly tremble beneath her fingers. Swallowing the sudden lump in her throat, Zoey nods, her head awkwardly bobbing up and down, every part of her body anticipating what Rumi might have in store for her.

“Yeah, um.. let's.” If Rumi knew the things she was doing to this woman..

The Demon Queen begins to lead her special guest away from their spot, hands intertwined together. It'd be hard for Zoey to admit that she loves this. Even harder for her to admit that she loves the person who started it.

For whatever strange reason, as nothing in here makes much sense, the two wind up in a room. It resembles something of a backstage area. Zoey knows that there was no place in Hell that looked like this.

She looks over at her companion, hoping that she'll have some notion of how they got there.

“Ru, what are we doing here? I swear, I zoned out for one moment and we just.." Whatever Zoey had planned on saying is thrown out the window. When did Rumi get all dressed up? Wait.. Zoey glances down at herself. Why are they both in their Golden outfits?

Rumi doesn't seem disturbed by it at all.

“You remember this, don't you? You and Mira never told me the whole story. Can you tell me now?”

The very memory of that day makes Zoey want to hurl. Nothing, and I mean nothing but the events that unfurled during the Idol Awards make Zoey feel this terrified.

That typically bright gaze she has falters for a moment, causing Rumi to quickly step in. Squeezing her hand to signify her being there for Zoey.

With a deep sigh, the songwriter begins to spill it.

“We thought we saw Bobby getting dragged away by these two demons. But, when we finally caught up to them, he turned out to be some demon, too. And then, we heard Takedown start playing.”

Zoey takes a second to collect her thoughts, trying to get in the most important details of that night. 

“It was like everything was against us. When we started running back, basically every one of the backstage crew was there. Rumi, we tried so hard to get back to you in time. But.. I should've realised things were wrong sooner. If I had just-”

“Zoey. It's not your fault. Nor is it Mira’s. None of it is.”

The relief Zoey feels upon hearing that is insurmountable. She watches as Rumi's free hand reaches towards her face, wiping away a spilled tear from her cheek with that delicate touch of hers.

“Thank you for telling me. I knew that you two would never willingly leave me alone like that.”

Zoey nods once, blinking away any other unshed tears.

“Mhm. We wouldn’t dream of it.”

Both of them catch on to the unintended pun, resulting in a fit of combined laughter. Rumi is trying to stifle her giggles whereas Zoey is leaning on her from how hard she's laughing.

They look at each other through their crinkled eyes, wondering how on Earth they found that so hilarious, and continue their hysterics.

Eventually, they simmer down, Rumi now cupping Zoey’s face in both of her palms. Admiring her with such fondness. It’s honestly shocking that Rumi isn’t the one with the massive crush.

“How do you do that? Turn something totally sad into this?” 

“I’m not really sure. It just happens! Good thing you have me, right? Or else it’d be all boring, hehe.”

Everything after the words, ‘have me,’ blur in Rumi’s mind. Her smile falters, pointed ears flattening by a tiny increment. This is why she’s here. Only when Zoey points out her weird staring does Rumi snap out of it.

“Oh, I just remembered something. Ever wonder what it’d be like to sleep in a dream?” As she speaks, her hands retreat, no longer squishing poor Zoey’s face.

Deflecting really is a part of Rumi’s nature. It’s a miracle that Zoey actually buys it. Unless she doesn’t and is just going with whatever Rumi says for the hell of it.

“Ooh, now that you mention it.. YEAH! Are we gonna sleep right here or..?” 

“Eh, I think what I have in mind is more comfortable.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Lead the way, my liege.”

Right.. Zoey keeps calling her that or other variations of ruler to tease her. Rumi’s gotten used to it by now, but hearing these titles be used for her is still uncanny. Sure, she’s been called ‘popstar royalty’ before, but knowing the circumstances in which she became The Demon Queen, it makes all the name-calling somewhat iffy. 

That doesn't influence Rumi to ask Zoey to stop, however. Rumi would let her call her ‘my queen’ any time of day.

“Actually, I've got a faster way there. Just close your eyes..” Zoey does as she's told.

“Take a breath..” The sensation of air being inhaled makes Zoey almost forget that this is all a dream.

“And open them.”

She does.

And she blinks rapidly to adjust to the sudden.. candlelight? What strikes Zoey first is the soothing scent from the multiple candles laying around. Her eyes are then brought over to the center piece - a canopy bed that looks like it belongs to some fantasy princess. It's pretty clear to Zoey that Rumi is going to make this a night to remember.

Rumi pushes Zoey towards the bed with sudden urgency. Jeez, girl, keep it in your pants.

In one swift movement, the half-demon sits on the mattress, pulling Zoey into her lap. She scoots back, letting her back rest against the headboard, and coils her arms around her unsuspecting prey. Though, the prey in question is fine with being eaten.

“Okay. Just relax, Zoey.” Easier said than done. Our hopeless romantic keeps getting jittery whenever Rumi speaks to her. It's not even in a sultry way - she's only asking her to calm down!

Her eyes involuntarily close, body at ease from being held so carefully. Steady breathing from Rumi’s chest is felt against her back, between her shoulder blades. Zoey does indeed feel like she's about to fall asleep.. while asleep.

..

Huh.. is that humming? It doesn't sound like it's coming from Rumi. She'd feel the vibrations of her vocal chords. Out of concern, Zoey cracks one eye open to check what's happening.

Immediately, a wave of drowsiness hits her, and her vision swims. Damn, what is happening? Is this what Zoey gets for thinking that they'd be doing something else on this bed?

‐^– “RUMI!” -

Mira..? What is she doing here? Zoey finally gains enough strength to push herself up from Rumi, turning her head just enough to see her expression. She sees a faint blue glow.. stemming from the nape of Zoey's neck. Stringing its way to Rumi's mouth. 

“What are you..” Holy crap. Her eyes shoot open, wider than anyone's ever seen. She doesn't want to believe it, but the evidence is overwhelming.

“Were.. were you trying to steal my soul?!”

PART THREE: THE SOLDIER

If there were words to describe the sheer ambivalence that Zoey is feeling at the moment, then they'd have to be added into the dictionary. She pries herself from Rumi’s arms, scrambling to get off the bed and stumbling towards Mira - who is currently out of breath. Rumi doesn't even try to stop her.

This was supposed to be easy. In and out. Ugh, this is why you don't trust the former king of Hell.

Zoey holds onto one of Mira's sleeves, rubbing the back of her neck with her opposite hand. Mira stands firm to provide the much-needed anchor for this totally puzzling situation.

Right.. as for where Mira was before..

“Eh? Zoey, did you blindfold me? Again?”

Mira goes to pull off what she thinks is a cloth around her eyes, but pokes one of them instead. She can barely even see herself in this desolate place. 

That is, until a wooden floor underneath her comes into view. Instant recognition on Mira's behalf. This is Rumi's room. Tilting her head up proves her correct.

It's identical to how Mira remembers it. The discarded box of Doctor Han's tonics in the corner, her tiny dresser with only the essentials on it, everything. One thing sparks her interest. A small purple sticky note, flipped sticky side up, placed in the middle of the bed.

Mira knows that she shouldn’t be in here.. but it wouldn't hurt to take a small peek at what's on the paper. Wringing her hands together, she tentatively approaches, eyeing the sticky note as if it would disappear at a moment's notice.

As Mira snatches it up and reads what's on the other side, her face contorts into something of confusion and bemusement.

– Behind you xx - R

A short breath escapes Mira, who slowly turns around to see Rumi sitting on one of her beanbags, running the pad of her middle finger down the side of her guitar.

Nothing could've prepared Mira for how pretty Rumi looks like this. Well, she always looks amazing, but getting to see her hair down in this warm lighting deepens Mira's love for her. 

“Were you waiting for me to pick this up?”

“I would've been here either way.”

As soon as Rumi finishes speaking, Mira flicks the note away and steps towards her. Placing herself on the opposite beanbag with that dancer grace of hers.

“So, what exactly am I doing here? Did something happen?”

Rumi glances to the side, her eyes narrowing. Then, she meets Mira's gaze again.

“I'm not sure whether or not I'm allowed to say this, but.. we're in a dream.”

Like how any normal person would react, Mira glares at her leader in disbelief. She waits for Rumi to snicker or at least lift the corner of her mouth into a crooked smile. She does neither.

“Wait, are you serious?”

“Mhm.”

“But.. Oh, huh. That does make sense. How are you here, though? Unless I'm just imagining you talking to me.”

“I’m not sure why I’m in your dream. But, yeah, it’s me.”

Mira wishes that something about this made sense. It’s cool that Rumi is here.. But how?? If Mira could take a nap to rest her head, she would.

After setting her guitar down, Rumi leans forward, to which her company doesn’t react.

“You wanna talk a bit? I don’t think waking up right now would be good. Zoey would-”

“She’d be pretty annoyed, wouldn’t she? We’d probably be forced to go back to sleep anyway.”

“Yeah.”

To Mira’s surprise, Rumi stands up shortly afterwards, taking her by the arm and leading her onto the bed. Mira does very little to stop her. Sure, having a conversation in your sleep is perfectly normal. She wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to get to chat with Rumi for longer, though. The two end up sitting right beside each other, Mira instinctively slinging an arm around Rumi’s shoulder. 

“Can I ask you something, Mir?”

Her inquisitive but not demanding tone helps to ease Mira’s concerns as to what this question could be.

“Sure. Ask away.”

Rumi then proceeds to go off on a tangent about the Idol Awards. Mira remains quiet, silently admiring her and nodding occasionally. Her eyes constantly flicker around, frequently darting towards Rumi's hair. It’s always fascinating seeing it move. If Mira were to write all the things she adores about Rumi, she’d basically be writing the other 51.

“- Should stop talking now.”

Mira nearly nods in response to that, but catches herself right beforehand. She sees Rumi biting down on her bottom lip, one of her fangs peeking out. Truly adorable.

“No, you can keep going. I like hearing you talk. You've become more chatty recently. I like it.”

Hearing that reassurance makes Rumi stop her lip-biting and instead loosen her jaw.

“I can talk more when we're not dreaming. But, how about you? Anything you want to talk about?”

As she asks Mira, she begins to move behind her, placing both of her palms on Mira's shoulders. The recipient doesn't question her at all.

When Mira starts to go on a mini rant about something involving cooking, Rumi massages her. Bit of a random gesture, but it actually seems to soothe Mira. Her limbs relax, her breathing slows.

But her words begin to slur together. Eyes fighting to stay open.

Rumi had stopped massaging her a while ago.

With what little strength she has left, Mira frees herself from Rumi’s hold, slumping onto the floor after. Her energy comes back, allowing her to sharply turn her head towards Rumi. Staring to try and make sense of everything.

“What.. What were you doing to me? Rumi. Tell me.”

Nothing could have prepared Mira to see that same fear she saw when Rumi got exposed during the Idol Awards come back on her face. She hates it. It's a feeling she wishes she could completely take away from Rumi. She hates that she can’t.

“I.. I just.. I'm sorry.”

For what? That's what Mira wants to know. 

Seeing how guilty and almost pitiful Rumi looks right now, and how light-headed she was becoming, it finally clicks. 

Mira doesn’t say anything.

She slowly gets up, avoiding looking at Rumi with all her might. It would make what she's about to do more painful for her.

With a sudden burst of vigour, Mira bolts out the door. Not even giving Rumi a second glance. She doesn't know where she's running to, or if running will even work considering the circumstances. But she needs some space.

Why was Rumi trying to take her soul? Did she need it that badly? Is it because of all the new demon things that came with defeating Gwi-Ma? She could've just asked..

THUD.

“-The hell?!”

Because Mira was being a dummy and wasn't looking up from the ground, she bumped into a door. Thing is, it's just a door. No room to enter visible. Hoping it's the door to salvation, she immediately pushes it open.

And there they are. Rumi and Zoey in bed. But Zoey is most definitely getting her soul harvested. So, Mira shouts.

Now that we’re all caught up..

“Mira, what's going on?”

“Rumi tried to take both of our souls.”

“WHAT?! She was with me the whole time, though?”

“Nothing here is logical. I think that's the least of our concerns.”

Mira takes a step closer to Rumi, causing her to scoot further back on the bed. Hitting her back against the headboard. The dynamic duo have her in a corner, and if she doesn't fess up.. well, she will eventually. 

Zoey finally catches her breath, watching as Mira slips out of her grasp and towards their spiritual assailant. 

“Rumi, I'm not mad at you. I'm only confused. And.. scared. Both for you and for us,” she subtly nods towards Zoey at ‘us.’ She feels the same. Rumi on the other hand isn't taking this lightly. 

Everything is spiraling out of her control. This wasn't supposed to happen. They were never supposed to see. 

His voice comes back to her. Telling her to keep up the act. Pretend as if everything is okay. It's reminding her of a certain guardian of hers. And she's done trying to pretend.

“I-I was being stupid. You guys mean so much to me.. and I never meant to hurt you.”

“Actually, I thought it felt pretty nice-”

“Zoey.” 

“What? It did.”

Rumi starts to curl up, caving in on herself as she attempts to make everything right.

“It's just- I don't want you two to hate me. I've been having these weird thoughts recently, and I thought that this would stop them. I'm sorry for dragging you both into this mess. I'm sorry.”

By now, Zoey and Mira have settled by Rumi's side, both a little unnerved by their leader's frantic apologising. She keeps repeating ‘I'm sorry,’ as if they'd dare to feel angry at her for this.

Her emotional state is causing this entire dreamscape to fall apart. Mira notices it first, whispering to Zoey so as not to startle Rumi. Zoey then proceeds to startle Rumi.

“Rumi! We need to get out of here! It's okay that you tried to eat our souls and stuff, but please!”

No response.

Panicking internally, Mira grabs onto Rumi’s shoulders, hoping to ground her. All she can feel is the violent shaking of her form. Zoey doesn't hesitate to shove Mira over, planting her forehead onto Rumi's.

“Rumi, listen to me. We need you to WAKE-

– W̷̢͉̻̰̤͙̊̋á̴̜̘͓̈́̿̌́̆͗͛͛ͅk̵̨͉̱͕̣̳̤̲̮̿̅̍̉̿͐͝e̴̪̝̔̑̉̆̉̾̀͆͝ ̴̧̛̰͓̟̰̦͖̜̥͐̋̒͑ữ̴̠͕͓͕̬̮͆̆͛̈́̌̑͌p̸̤͔̺̮̼̲̳͗̀̌.̶̡͉̹͆̊̀́͋̚̕͜͠͝ ̴̡̢̮̣̖͕͔͚͇̿̀͆̿̑̊̐͘Y̷̥͔͚̲̙͆͗̕o̸̧̡̳͙̜̹̦͚̿̿͘ų̸͍͖̦͉̏̂̍̽̌̀́́ ̴̪̭̮̼̭̖͙̚͝n̷̙̹̈́̌̄̾̈́̌̈̍͠e̵͈̮͇̫̝̰͙͑̀́͒̉́̓͘͝ͅͅę̶̧̱̰̗͕̮̺̀͂̉̈́̽͝d̷̺͊̄̃̌̀͝͝͠ ̵̘̦̘͇̱̙͌́̆͜t̶͇̠̫͙̗̮̼̓̏̌̀̈͝o̵̢̨̧̧̝̝̖̔̓̉̋̇̌̽̽͝ ̶̺͓͖̠̻̖͑͆̔̚͜͠ẉ̶̧̫̓̇͝ä̵̼͈̭͒̋̒̓ḱ̴̢̫̮͉̙͚̥̥͌̀̽̎̈́̓̀e̴̗̟͌̅̎͗̉͊͛̆̚͝ ̴̨̛̭͍̩̬̩̦̫͉͜u̸̺͈͖̩̇̎̃͝p̵̯̣̔͋̽͝.̷͙̝̩̬̎ ̸̤̹̤̉G̴̡̭͙̱̘̣͈͊̑̕͜e̸̤͐̌̅̆̎͌̓͗̽͠t̴̯͕̻̍̊̈́́͠͠ ̶̡̮͖̺̥̻͖̮͕̉̆͂͊̋̒̀͗̏͠u̵̡̪̗͚̜̺͖͌͆p̶̧̰̣͎͖̩̩͌̎̂̈͒͛̓̌͑̓.̶́ ̶̡̺̈́͑T̶͉̺̲͖̳̀́̓̍͐̓̾̈́̓h̸̡̡̧͖̰̰̲͊̄̎̌͜͠ě̵͓̱͙̗̺̜̟͇͚̠͌̿̅͗̿ý̴͔̣̥ ̸̝͙̥̹̻̹̂̌̊̂͘͠n̸̙͖͇̜̞͎̝̫͕͛̓̅̓̍̑̓e̶̠͑̊̀͑̈͐̚̚̚e̸͙̪͓̩͆͊́͊̓̏̌d̷̢̫̹͗̒̍͐̊̚ ̵͖̟͈̀́̿̎̀̓͆̆̽ͅy̷͕͎̬̪̲͈̅͊̄̈́ö̷́̿̀̀̅̃́̚͠͝ͅú̷̧̙̱̗̊̉̿̀͋̎̾͝ ̶̡̳͔̯̬̪̜̻̤̗̈́͊t̵̻͇̒̂͊ö̴͍̼̭͚̻̻̟̲́̿̓̈́͆́ ̴̡͇̰͍̜̰͌́w̵̺̬̬̤͌̃̄͐̀́̽a̸͇̼̙̗̝͕̝͙̒̀́k̵̩͓͙̜̘͇̏̀͆̈̈̐̾̕ͅȇ̶̠̝̲̿ ̴̫̙̄̿͒͆̓̉̚͝ù̸̟̙̫̪̇̏̄͋̒͋p̷̩̒͌̀̌̈̏̎̾.̴͔̖͔̯̫͓̀̀̀͋͌̀̃̚ ̶̥̻̘̣̮̪̳̺̥̈́̏̈́̑̉̈́̕

A sharp and pained gasp rings out through Zoey's room. Rumi has shot up from her spot in between her two members, both of which are also awake and clinging onto Rumi.

There's a bit of waterworks from the half-demon. Nearly every inch of the poster-decorated walls is covered in a pink glow. Rumi makes for a good nightlight.

With her girls by her side(s), she slowly returns to a regular breathing pattern. Their silence is incredibly reassuring. It's giving her the chance to collect her thoughts and think about whether she'd like to speak about this more.

As they wait for some sort of a signal, Mira strokes the top of Rumi's head, whereas Zoey begins running her fingertips over the patterns on her forearm. They're really leaning towards that princess treatment for their queen.

A little over 3 minutes later, and Rumi gains the courage to talk. She had felt pretty confident in their dream, but now, that bravado is wavering. This is the real deal.

“Do you still trust me? Even- even after all of that?”

Continuing her handiwork, Zoey answers first.

“Of course we trust you, Rumi. From what I saw, it didn't seem like you really wanted to do all of it. Did something happen before the whole.. dream thing?”

“Well, I..”

Come on, Rumi. No more hiding. No more lies.

“.. I actually did agree to something. I wasn't going to really take your souls. But.. part of me did want to have them. To keep you safe with me.”

Mira's soothing head massage comes to a halt. Rumi wipes any leftover tears away with her inner wrist. The fidgeting with her hair starts back up.

“That's.. endearing. But, you said you agreed to it? Who.. Oh.”

There's an air of mutual understanding, Mira having caught onto it in the matter of seconds. The atmosphere is shattered by Zoey's breath catching in her throat.

“Wait, do you mean Gwi-Ma? I thought you killed him!”

With a side glance to Mira for some affirmation, Rumi feels as if she can tell them everything. Mira did say she liked hearing her talk.

“Yes.. but not fully. Part of him is still inside of me, and for some reason, he decided to talk to me at the start of that dream. I.. haven't told you yet, but I've been having nightmares every day. And lately, I've been wanting to.. um.. be with you two more.”

She's expecting some sort of passive-aggressive comment. Reprimands for her being dumb enough to fall for his trickery. It never comes. All she's met with is patience and care.

“I think he came back because I was so vulnerable. And I wanted to make sure you guys didn't get.. tired of me. I don't know. I was being selfish-”

“Selfish?” Zoey repeats, unsure if she heard that correctly. “Rumi, you're anything but selfish. All you wanted to do was keep us together. That's pretty selfless to me!”

Mira nods, her hand now resting on Rumi's back. “Mhm. And besides, none of this was your fault. It was Gwi-Ma’s. You just happened to be in the wrong mindset.”

That light being emitted from Rumi shifts to a muted iridescent hue. 

“I should've just told you from the start. It was silly to think that you'd react badly. I love you so much.”

Both Mira and Zoey share a glance, their hearts pounding from the words that just left their Rumi's mouth. It doesn't help that she's smiling. 

“We love you, too.”

“Yup! And if you're ever feeling left out, just say so. But, if the offer still stands.. you can take my soul any day of the week.”

Garnering a playful scoff and roll of the eyes from Rumi, Zoey pushes her back down into the mountain of plushies behind. Mira follows the movement.

“I wasn't joking! I liked how calming it was. Like meditating, but it actually touched your soul.”

“Zoey! Don't encourage that..”

Once more, the half-demon is secure in the arms of her (business) partners. Maybe today marks the end of her desire to have Mira and Zoey for herself. Maybe it marks the beginning of her journey to strengthen their relationship. Whatever it may be, it can be left for.. next sleepover.

Her eyes close.

For the first time in several days, Rumi gets a good night's rest.