Starting a new post to @waterfire1848's idea about the tonics actually pushing Rumi into full demon mode. You can find the first post here. And the final addition to that post here. Tagging @fierygremlin as well!
So to recap: Healer Han was being intentionally cryptic when he said "I know just the tonics you need" and after trying one, Rumi's body goes full demon mode. She unknowingly reveals her secret to Mira and Zoey when she doesn't realize she's transformed overnight, and had to make a hasty teleportation-fueled retreat to Jeju when they mistook her for a demon pretending to be Rumi. Now, everything has come to a head after Mira and Zoey made a beeline for Celine after not being able to contact her and they've just managed to ward off a particularly bad demon attack on the compound.
Mira and Celine end up alone, and Mira calls out Celine on her choices to force Rumi to hide. Celine has a scathing rebuttal locked and loaded.
-- -- --
"I would never hurt Rumi," Mira snarled, offended Celine would even ask such a question of her.
"And the multiple times you've raised your gok-do at her just today?" Celine replied coolly.
"The first time I didn't know it was her," Mira fired back, "If I had known, I never would have-"
"And what about just now? You knew it was her then."
Rumi's ears twitched at the hissed and clearly private conversation of the other two in the other room. She ignored it, intentionally allowing them privacy to figure out what... what they wanted to do now.
"Will you hurt my daughter the next time you see her?"
Rumi shook her head of the voice as she fully slipped into the bathroom, refusing to focus on Mira's lack of immediate response to Celine's question.
It didn't matter what the answer was, in the end.
Images of the gok-do pointed at her, flying at her, caused her to shiver involuntarily.
She walked towards the bathroom counter where the first aid kit was always stashed. Demonic features appeared in the corner of her eye, causing her to startle.
Just a mirror. A mirror with a demon reflected in it. The demonic eye trailed over the creature before her, covered in another demon's ichor and graveyard dirt smudged with it across her patterned and purple skin. her whole bottom half of her face was smeared in it, clearly from having ripped the demon apart with her own fangs and claws.
No wonder they all summoned weapons against her. She was disgusting.
She turned on the tap real quick, trying to use the sink's hand towel and the stream of water to wipe away the most prevalent of the blood. She didn't want to scare them any more than she had. She needed them to at least let her stay until she could confirm Zoey was okay.
Satisfied with the subpar cleaning, she reached for the kit, only to freeze. If she grabbed it and accidentally teleported again, that would leave Zoey without medical supplies at the ready. She couldn't risk that. Not after already delaying it by taking them to a graveyard first.
So instead, she grabbed the broom from the linen closet. It was a little dumb, but it was the best idea she could come up with while her brain was flatlining. Using the broom to knock the kit to the floor, she felt her tail thrash at the action, making her cringe as she heard the plunger nearby topple over from the random assault. With a sigh, she decided to come back to fix it later. Using the broom, Rumi shoved the box along the floor, out of the bathroom and towards the waiting Mira and Zoey.
“…….What are you doing?”
“Are you playing hockey with the med kit?”
Rumi kept her gaze down, staring at the box, “I’m trying to make sure I don’t teleport away with the med supplies.”
“And your solution to that problem was pushing the box with a broom?” Mira asked.
“Better than the plunger.”
“I prefer this option.” Zoey chuckled, “Reminds me of when we played soccer with a chunk of ice during that huge winter storm last year.”
The memory caused a fond chuckle to bubble out of Rumi and Mira. They remembered that too. They remembered how there had been a planned concert but a horrible blizzard forced them to cancel. Unfortunately, no one told them the concert was cancelled—Bobby was sick and his replacement sucked—until they got to the venue and ended up stuck in a nearby hotel. To pass time, the three began kicking around a chunk of ice they found although the majority of the time was spent falling on their butts and into snow banks.
Mira and Rumi halted their laughter when they realized they were laughing together. Rumi shuffled away from Mira just a bit as the words from before and Mira’s hesitation at Celine’s question echoed in her mind.
“….I really like your tail, Rumi.”
“You don’t have to lie, Zoey.” Rumi spat, sounding crueler than she had intended, “I know it’s disgusting.”
“It’s not disgusting and since when are you so confident in knowing what I like and dislike. You didn’t even know I used to have a crush on Celine until three years ago.” More laughter bubbled out of Rumi and Mira.
“How did you not know that, Rumi?”
“I don’t know! I just thought she’d have a normal American crush like Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber or someone who didn’t raise me!”
“But Celine is so hot!” Zoey whined.
“No! No! I can’t hear this again!” Rumi threw her hands over her demon ears, more playing than anything else, but the moment her hands made contact with her ears, her eyes widened. Rushing past Mira, Rumi went to the nearest mirror she could find and pulled her hair back.
Her ears were normal.
Perfectly normal.
Celine made the executive decision that ice packs weren't going to be enough, so she put the kettle on to make tea. When she headed back toward the kitchen, she was met with a sound she was not expecting to hear.
Laughter.
"Ok ok! Hurry hard! Hard!"
...Also not what she was expecting.
When she rounded the corner, she was met with an odd sight, indeed. Rumi had the broom and was currently frantically sweeping backward through the living room, keeping ahead of the med kit that Mira had slid along the smooth hardwood floor. Zoey was watching on from the couch, shouting instructions to "hurry hard" as the med kit slid to a stop on the far side.
"Why...are you curling the med kit?" she asked, staring at the scene somewhat dumbfounded after, well...everything.
The girls snapped to attention, Rumi dropping the broom and standing up straight with her hands at her side, the same smile she usually had when caught doing something ridiculous on her face. Mira shot to her feet and mimicked Rumi's pose, minus the toothy smile. Zoey couldn't exactly stand up, but she still turned to stare at Celine.
That's when Celine noticed that Rumi's claws had gone away. And her fangs had reduced to slightly abnormally long eye teeth.
"Making her laugh helps!" Zoey sputtered before Celine could voice her observation, "Hockey wasn't going to work as one on one so we switched to curling."
"...Ok," Celine replied slowly, turning to the others while pointing at Zoey. "Has she been treated?"
Rumi nodded. "Looked over and patched up. Nothing's broken, thankfully," she stated dutifully.
The exchange was almost...normal, despite Rumi's tail swishing anxiously behind her.
Celine could tell, even without the tail, that Rumi was waiting for her to ruin this. For her to insist on talking, to scold them, to bring up the countless ways they had all screwed up in the last 24 hours. And Celine knew they would have to deal with that sooner rather than later. But she was also not heartless, and she was not a fool. For the first time since they all arrived at her home on Jeju, they've been acting like themselves. Goofy and playful and carefree.
And the lightness seemed to be helping Rumi, no golden Honmoon required.
And perhaps the scratches on her living room floor will be worth it.
"You will need something to mark the house," she noted, allowing a smile to form on her face as she watched relief flood Rumi's.
She glanced to the side, eyes meeting Mira's, and her smile softened. It seemed to lift the dancer as well, the hatchet between them buried at least for the night.
@waterfire1848 @fierygremlin
@fierygremlin @frozenartscapes
“SCORE!” Rumi cried.
“That does not count! You hit me with your braid.” Mira stuck her tongue out at the older girl while holding back a laugh.
“You both hit me with your hair in the last round.” Zoey said, “And Celine the round before that.”
@waterfire1848 @frozenartscapes
Rumi pulled her old comforter over her, then plopped her arms out beside her, staring blankly at the ceiling above her.
So much had happened since she first woke up that morning, so much had changed, she had no idea how to even begin processing it all. With the effort of just reducing the various demonic features she now had to manage, none of them got a chance to really talk. As much as it was a relief in the moment, sitting in the silence of her room with the others together in another, it left herself to overthink. Worry gnawed at her brain, wondering where they all stood. Was Mira still unsure what she wanted to do? Would she strike the first moment Celine wasn't around as a threat? Would Zoey let it happen?
As glad as she was for the moment of peace, she now just wanted to know if she belonged with them. If they believed she belonged with them after everything.
A soft knock at the door interrupted her spiral.
"Come in," Rumi spoke softly, unsure who to expect.
The door cracked open, and Rumi's heartbeat tripped in fear as Mira appeared in the entryway.
Had she come to finish her now that the other witnesses were not around?
"Hey," Mira said, eyes meeting hers for only a second before flickering to the floor. "Since you don't have to hide anymore... we were wondering if we could move our sleepover into here with you?"
Rumi noted the awkward shuffling and the guilty look in Mira's eyes, and she felt herself relaxed a bit.
"We?" she prompted.
Zoeys head popped into the doorway a moment later, eyes wide and pleading.
"Just, uh...," Mira continued, scratching at her neck. "After everything that happened today... and almost happened... it doesn't feel right. Being alone, that is. None of us should be."
Rumi melted at the words, realizing it as the answer she had just been wondering. She ushered them in as she lifted the blankets in invitation. The other two didn't hesitate, jumping into bed with her and sandwiching her between them, clinging to her like she might leave them again.
As she pulled the covers back over the three of them and held them close, she realized the truth.
This is where she belonged. With her girls.
A smile warmed her features as they settled in for the night.
@waterfire1848 @fierygremlin
The following morning found them in a heap of tangled limbs and sheets that none of them were quite willing to break from. Rumi stirred first, waking to the sensation of hair tickling her nose. Mira's long locks had become unruly as she slumbered next to her, and as Rumi came more into consciousness, she registered the extra weight that was Zoey splayed out across them both.
A smile made its way onto her face as Rumi realized that not even two days ago something like this would have been unheard of. And about 24 hours ago she had believed this never would have been possible. But now here she was: safe and warm and accepted. Nothing could make her leave the bed, now that she had everything she had ever wanted.
Then she caught a whiff of food, carried through the air from the kitchen. And her stomach growled so loudly it sounded like a demon had materialized in their room.
Mira and Zoey shifted groggily in bed, both blinking in a sleepy daze as they looked for the source of the sound. Rumi curled up in a little ball of embarrassment, trying in vain to hide the redness of her face.
"Dude, that was you?" Zoey exclaimed with a laugh when she spotted Rumi.
"It's not my fault! I barely ate yesterday!" Rumi whined.
"Come on, Tiger," Mira sighed fondly as she patted Rumi's shoulder, "Let's get you fed. I have a feeling Celine's already ahead of us."
Rumi peeked out of her fetal position. "T...Tiger?" she demanded.
Mira merely pulled one of Rumi's hands - where her hoodie sleeve had risen up her forearm - revealing patterns that very well could match a stylized tiger's stripes. Rumi snatched her arm back as she sat up on the bed. "Ok, ok, yeah... Fair point," she relented.
"I can not call you that," Mira told her, her expression soft with consideration and concern, "If it's too-"
"No, it's ok," Rumi assured her, "I...I guess I just wasn't expecting..."
"...wasn't expecting...what?" Zoey pushed gently.
Rumi looked down at her hands, where the patterns had spread down across her palms to the tips of her fingers. If she wanted to hide them now, she'd have to wear gloves. Or ridiculously long sleeves.
"I don't know... I guess I just...didn't think you guys would be this cool with everything," she admitted quietly, "And so quickly after...everything."
Mira and Zoey shared a glance with each other, silently communicating their concern. "Hey: it might have been a lot to take in," Zoey told her, reaching for one of her patterned hands without hesitation, "But you're still our Rumi."
"Demon or not, that's not going to change," Mira added, taking Rumi's other hand in hers, "I'm...sorry I didn't see that at first."
Rumi shook her head. "Mira, it's fine," she assured shakily, "You thought I was an imposter and you were just being protective. I saw how much you care about me, it was just..."
"No I... I pointed my weapon at you, multiple times," Mira stated, anger at herself dripping from her words, "I'll never forgive myself for not seeing it. For not seeing you and just letting my hatred of demons blind me."
"You're not the only one at fault, Mira," Zoey reminded her, "I didn't think it was Rumi at first, either." Turning to Rumi with regret in her eyes, she added, "Neither one of us gave you a chance to explain."
"Well... I guess I can explain now? If there's anything we haven't had revealed to each other, yet," Rumi suggested. Her stomach protested loudly yet again, prompting the other girls to laugh.
"After breakfast," Mira decided, "No sense revisiting the Horrors on empty stomachs."
"Plus: I think I can smell bacon," Zoey added with an eager bounce on the bed, "And pancakes. We're not missing that!"
Rumi chuckled softly, feeling her stomach grumble again as the smells registered to her nose. Zoey was right: there was definitely bacon and pancakes. Celine would sometimes treat them to an Americanized breakfast on special occasions, as a way to make Zoey feel more at home. (Plus she always would have authentic maple syrup from Quebec on hand that made everything ten times better. If you're going to do a sweet breakfast, then it might as well be sweet.) She drew another deep breath and recognized more scents: eggs, coffee...mandarins? Also strawberries and kiwi and dragonfruit. And something smokey that was no doubt the black tea Celine preferred.
Ok that was...new. She never used to be able to smell that well before.
But, figuring out why would have to wait because the ability only served to remind her just how fucking hungry she actually was.
"Good morning, Celine," the three of them greeted in unison, the automatic response still perfectly synced from the years of training in the hanok.
"Morning girls," Celine welcomed, a flicker of a smile forming at the three groggy women situating themselves at the table where the food sat waiting. "Why don't you three go ahead and start eating?"
Rumi felt her mouth watering and she had to hold herself back to ask, "Are you not joining?"
"I will in a bit," Celine promised. "I have been snacking on some of the fruit already, and I'm wanting to finish cleaning up before I sit down. Go on ahead."
That was all they needed to dig in. Rumi didn't hesitate as she began loading up her plate with a stack of pancakes and fruit, dousing it in syrup. She cut a section off, stabbed it with her fork and took a bite. Rumi winced as she felt sharpened fangs cut her lip. When had those grown long again? A fork clattered to the table, making her look up.
Both of her hunters were staring wide eyed at her, and Zoey had dropped the fork to the table, scrambled eggs scattered where it dropped. Rumi felt the heat of embarrassment and shame rise a bit, realizing they were staring at her mouth.
"Sorry," Rumi offered as she willed the fangs to shorten again. "I didn't realize they had grown again."
"Don't apologize!" Zoey gasped in utter offense. "Your fangs are hot."
Rumi nearly choked on her pancakes. Mira didn't say anything, but her face had began to tint pink as she still stared at Rumi's mouth.
"T-thanks?" Rumi finally said before going for another bite.
And yet, as she tried to, this time she even felt the moment her fangs sprang forward, just as she was about to bite down. It was like a newly formed reflex, her body instinctually summoning them just as they would possibly be needed for a bite of food.
Mira was not choking on her inhaled bacon and Zoey was using her sleeves to clean up the spray of coffee she had spit out the moment the fangs had reappeared. Celine glanced from the kitchen, brow raised in question at the chaos as Rumi's face grew warmer.
It seemed the tonics were still very much encouraging the demonic traits, much to the frustration of the half-demon.
"Stupid tonics," she quietly grumbled as she stared at her food, betrayed at the idea she couldn't eat it without her demon fangs popping out like a spring loaded knife.
"...What dem fangs do?" Zoey mumbled, staring straight at Rumi's mouth.
"Hm?" Rumi hummed, breaking off her plate-glaring.
Mira threw her a pink tinged side-eye, "Zoey."
"Oh like you weren't thinking the same thing!"
Rumi blinked. "Thinking? Thinking what?"
"'Thinking' and 'saying' are two very different things!"
"Huh?"
Celine sat down at the table, eyes going between Mira, Zoey, and Rumi. For a long moment, no one said a word.
"...Oh. So it wasn't Rumi I should have been concerned about inheriting Miyeong's certain...preferences."
"Huh?!"
"I did not need that mental image this early in the morning," Mira grumbled.
"Right! About that-" Zoey said, threading her fingers together like she was in a meeting, "-can we talk about how Rumi's mom was apparently a monsterfucker?"
"WHAT?!" Rumi shrieked while Mira choked on a poorly timed bite of her breakfast. Rumi would have asked if she was okay— and if Zoey was a different kind of okay —but she was distracted by an odd sensation sprouting from right above her ass.
The fucking tail was back. And agitated if the fluffed out fur and twitching was any indication.
Wonderful.
At least her pants had ridden down low enough for it not to get caught on them.
"No," Celine sighed, "And please never say those words in that order ever again."
@waterfire1848 @fierygremlin @frozenartscapes
@waterfire1848 @fierygremlin @whitebeltwriter-fics
The multiple distressing revelations aside (although what she had learned about Zoey and Mira wasn't necessarily distressing per se, but...unexpected) Rumi couldn't help but feel self conscious. Her stupid tail had returned and she wasn't quite sure who was in charge because it seemed to move on its own. At least the fur was starting to settle on it.
She clamped her mouth shut and tried to make herself small, hoping nothing else would shift. Just when she started to feel like herself, too. Her body just had to remind her that she wasn't normal: just a freak who-
"Hey." Mira's gentle voice interrupted her inner spiral, and when she dared to look over, Mira was watching her with a soft, empathetic expression. "What's going on in that head, Rumi?"
"I...I guess I just..." She squeezed her knee, wincing when she felt something sharper than her acrylic nails poke through her sweatpants. "This is all still so...weird. I'm not used to...you know."
"Ok, I get it," Mira assured her, before eyeing Zoey, "We'll make sure to keep any comments to ourselves."
"And I'm sorry, Rumi," Zoey atoned, "I didn't mean anything by it, honest! Well, I mean I did but nothing bad!"
Rumi allowed a small, cautious smile to form as she met their eyes. "I guess... Being attracted to my fangs is better than thinking they're disgusting," she suggested. As she spoke with timid optimism, her smile grew, allowing a view of the fangs in question once more.
To which Zoey pretended to have a heart attack.
"Zoey!" Mira scolded.
"I can't help it! She's too cute!" Zoey countered.
A small laugh caught their attention, all three girls turning in shock to Celine, who was trying her best to hide her mirth behind her cup of coffee.
"What's so funny?" Mira demanded.
"Nothing, it's just... I am enjoying this," their mentor admitted, smiling in a way none of them had seen in a long time, "I am glad to see you three mending your bond after everything that happened."
Then, turning to Rumi, she gently reached out and set a hand on Rumi's arm. "I also don't want you to let this get to you," she stated, "You haven't eaten since yesterday and I know you're hungry. Don't let what you may believe we think about your teeth affect that."
"How did you..." Rumi began, wanting to deny it but, dammit, Celine was right.
"I just do," Celine replied with a loving smile. It said the words she wanted to say, but still perhaps didn't want to push too much just yet: A mother knows.
With that assurance, Rumi gained the confidence to forget her claws and fangs and tail momentarily and refocus on the plate of delicious food. Once she started, everyone else did as well, and the table fell into comfortable silence as they ate. Rumi found herself feeling better with every bite, and realized that eating something probably helped. As her stress lowered, her demonic features shifted away until she was back to - mostly - normal once more.
"Ok, so... Are we gonna talk about it?" Zoey prompted, "Like... I got the gist of the really heavy stuff last night and we don't need to dive into that right away but... Why now? What happened yesterday that made Rumi go all demon-y?"
Rumi and Celine shared a concerned glance. Rumi swallowed the mouthful of pancake in her mouth, and said with a wince, "It...might have been the night before?"
Mira and Zoey frowned. "Like...after the fight at the bath house?" Mira wondered.
"Did one of those water demons bite you? Is that a thing?" Zoey demanded in a panic.
"No, no... It was after," Rumi explained hastily. She gulped nervously, picking at her sweater sleeve when she added, "I...I drank one of those tonics before bed."
