*inhale*
*sigh*
Ok. This isn’t what I said I’m working on for ao3. It’s a writing test for something else. Please enjoy;
Hunted Rumi.
——
Rumi jumped, drawing on the Honmoon in the all too familiar way she has for the last year. The power flowed into her, through her, and against the ground to let her leap far further than she was ever meant to.
Behind her, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching the rooftop she’d just left behind, rapid and aggressive. She didn’t bother turning to glance behind her, knowing it would do little except slow her down.
As she approached the edge of the next building, she tugged at the Honmoon again, letting it gather around her and cushion her legs and body for a soft landing. Without slowing she continued to run, eyes darting wildly for any way down. She could use the Honmoon again, but it’d be like sending out a signal to her pursuers that she’d dropped to ground level.
Finding nothing, she let out a small curse, turning and darting to her left to throw them off. It’s lucky she chose to do it right then, as she felt more than saw the thrown knives barely miss her legs.
She jumped a few more rooftops, each one letting them get a little closer as their more advanced skill with the Honmoon lent itself to their goal.
The goal of killing her.
Or capturing her.
She’s never really stopped to ask them while they tried to attack her. The last time they’d managed to cut her cheek, just below her eye, and it was chafing against the mask on her face. Despite the irritant, she left it on, not wanting to risk them seeing what she really looked like.
The edge of the roof approached, and Rumi forced herself to slide to a stop as open air greeted her. She’d been running on autopilot, not looking as she should’ve for stairs she could take down. She risked a glance over the edge, knowing it was too far to simply fall down with the Honmoon without them pursuing her down there.
With a sharp turn and moment of concentration Rumi summoned her blade, using it to deflect the two knives thrown towards her thighs. (Seriously, how hard is it to not go for the legs??). Her pursuers landed a moment after, crouching in defensive stances as they drew their own starlit weapons from the Honmoon.
The one on the left who’d introduced herself as Zoey kept her eyes trained on Rumi, focused on the way she shifted her legs. She’d need to be wary, having seen the way the girl could ricochet them to hit nearly impossible angles.
The one on the right had never bothered to introduce herself, so Rumi had taken to calling her giraffe in her head. Giraffe had long pink hair, and had a long weapon that Rumi recently learned was called a Gok-do. Helpful, to know the weapon you’re being impaled with, huh?
They stopped about 3 yards away from Rumi, eyeing her with as much enthusiasm as a lioness with her prey. They didn’t move to attack, not yet, and Rumi didn’t bother attacking them first. Last time she had, she’d gotten very, very badly beaten before managing to make her escape.
A large form landed on the roof behind the two, silver and black hair fluttering in the air as she gracefully stood from her partial crouch. The familiar gray trench coat fluttered gently, the black pants and crisp white shirt standing out against the night sky.
Rumi grit her teeth, bracing herself in preparation for the attack she knows is coming soon. The woman strode forwards slowly, not bothering to summon her own twin blades yet.
Celine. The monster in Rumi’s proverbial closet, the hunter to her prey, the… well, Rumi stopped bothering to make analogies the third or fourth time her life has been forcefully upended because of the older woman’s efforts.
The three woman regarded Rumi’s trembling form for a few minutes, and Rumi returned the stares with a glare of her own.
Celine let out a quiet, almost imperceptible sigh, one Rumi’s enhanced hearing picked up easily. “You are a very difficult woman to have a conversation with.”
Rumi tilted her head slightly, an acknowledgment and response all in one. She didn’t dare take her eyes off Celine, she’d made that mistake their first encounter, and still had the scars to prove it on her back.
She waited a moment, almost expectant of Rumi to answer, before continuing. “Things would be much easier if you’d simply come with us, you know. You wouldn’t have to keep running, and you wouldn’t have to fight on your own.”
Rumi narrowed her eyes, letting her foot slide back a little for a better launching off point. The other two women next to Celine tensed, yet still didn’t move to engage like they had before. Something changed, and Rumi doesn’t like it when things change in her life.
Once again, there was a pause as Celine seemed to wait for Rumi to answer her, or respond in any way aside from a small gesture. At the lack of one, she let out another nearly imperceptible sigh.
“Look, I get it. You don’t trust us, and we don’t trust you.” Celine said, eyebrows pinched slightly in what could only be annoyance. “But the sword you carry is proof enough that you need to come with us, and you need to do it now.”
Rumi felt her own brows pinch in confusion, glancing at Giraffe and Zoey. Their expressions screamed hesitation and a bit of annoyance on the taller one, but also… hope? Or maybe excitement would be a better name for their expressions.
Rumi licked her lips under the mask, narrowing her eyes as she considered her response. Drawing on the magic within her soul, she altered the shape of her vocal cords, letting them come out with that demonic lilt that disguised the true sound.
“What does my sword have to do with you?” Rumi asked.
Might as well get some useful info if their willing to talk. She risked a glance to the side, noting the building one floor down on her left with a fire escape. Her eyes darted back to the Giraffes, eye twitching slightly as she realized that she saw where Rumi was looking.
“It means you’re a hunter, somehow.” Celine answered, surprising Rumi. At the perplexed look she got in response to that, Celine raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Do you really not know what that means?”
Rumi hesitantly shook her head. Hunter is a fitting name, even if it’s closer to hunted for her. She can’t help but wonder what they’re hunting that they need magic weapons for.
Magic weapons that… that can’t hurt anyone but her.
Rumi felt her heart rate pick up as she reassessed the three women in front of her. Celine still looked relaxed, but the way she rested on the balls of her feet indicated that she isn’t quite as unprepared for a sudden clash. Giraffe and Zoey’s stances have relaxed a bit, settling on their heels instead. Clearly, they trust that Celine has it handled.
Celine interrupted Rumi’s assessment, eyebrows raised slightly. “It means we hunt and kill demons, creatures that serve Gwi-ma by stealing human souls.” She explained, “They have patterns like the ones you’re covered in.”
Rumi glanced at her exposed arm, the familiar purple markings glowing gently with an internal light. An unpleasant feeling broils in her gut at the knowledge that soul stealing demons have the same marks she does.
Wait.
Rumi tenses, eyes snapping up towards the hunters. Zoey and Giraffe tense as well, but Celine only watches her. Rumi readjusts her grip, palms going clammy at the realization.
“If you kill everything with patterns…” Rumi swallowed, bracing. “Then does that include me?”
Zoey winced, and Giraffe flinched at that. Celine shook her head as she answered, “No, not you. I don’t know how or why you have patterns, but you’re a hunter. That means you’re on our side, not his.”
Rumi couldn’t help the scoff that came at that. “Your side? I’m not on anyone’s side of whatever you think this is. As far as I can tell, those “demons” hate me, and you want to maim me.” Rumi narrowed her eyes as she took another step back, pausing right at the edge of the roof. “So don’t go making assumptions about my allegiances, Celine.”
She said the older woman’s name with a vitriol that surprised even her. Celine’s eye twitched slightly, and the other two hunters winced in sympathy. Before they could come up with a response, Rumi looked past their shoulders to the right, eyes widening comically.
“What’s that over there?!” She gasped.
Zoey, Giraffe, and even Celine turned to look.
There was nothing.
Turning back, they just missed the tip of her purple hair passing over the edge of the roof.
She heard curses above her as she dropped, using the fire escape to slow her descent by grabbing it every three floors. If she could just make it to the street, then she could-
Something bright and impossibly sharp slammed into her shoulder, throwing off her grip on the second floor level. Rumi fell with a scream of pain, landing with a crack of her head against a pallet. Stars danced in front of her eyes as she recovered, slowly managing to push herself into a sitting position.
Groaning, Rumi reached up, gently prodding the arrow, causing her to bite her lip and hiss at the pain. Hopefully, the other hunters above her missed the very loud sounds of whatever had just happened.
Rumi forced herself to her feet, clutching at her shoulder and groaning in pain. She turned, assessing her exit options. On one end of the alley was a dead end with some pipes, at the other stood her. Another woman, one she didn’t recognize. She looked about Celine’s age, her hair still mostly black, and she had the same kind of intensity to her eyes that echoed so well with the other woman.
The most important part, at least for Rumi, is the bow she was holding, currently knocked, and aimed right at her heart.
Rumi narrowed her eyes, bracing her back against the wall as she considered her options. Risking taking her eyes off the older woman, Rumi chanced a glance up. A very surprised and concerned pair of eyes met hers.
Zoey.
Dropping her gaze back to the other woman, she saw how she carefully watched every movement Rumi made. Every transfer of weight from one foot to the other had her drawing the bow the tiniest bit more.
“You run, you die.” She said, voice level.
Rumi grit her teeth but nodded once, showing she understood. The woman didn’t bother acknowledging the motion, instead tilting her head slightly back to yell up at the roof.
“Hey, new kid’s! Get down here, I have your pet demon.”
Rumi bristled at that, unconsciously making her eye flash yellow in annoyance. The woman raised a brow, either in surprise or something else Rumi couldn’t tell. It didn’t matter either way, as Zoey and Giraffe landed near silently behind her. Zoey winced when she saw the arrow, but didn’t say anything. Giraffe moved, stepping in front of Rumi and -accidentally, Rumi assumes- in front of the still drawn bow.
Giraffe looked strangely… concerned?
Rumi couldn’t quite read her, she’d always been the more stoic of the two, but that was what she saw on Giraffes face. She looked almost regretful, if Rumi had to guess. The idea made her want to chuckle, but the situation didn’t leave much to be amused by.
Celine landed a moment later next to Zoey, her brows furrowed as she looked at the situation. She turned to Rumi, eyes widening the tiniest amount when she spotted the arrow, before darting down to the still smashed pallet with a dark stain left from where her head had hit it.
Celine stepped around Zoey, slapping the other woman’s arm halfheartedly. “You were just supposed to stall her, Poppy.” She chastised. “Though, I suppose this works, too.”
The woman, Poppy, let the bow drop and the line become slack. She rolled her eyes at Celine, amusement and mild annoyance clear in her features. Gesturing with her bow, she said, “This one managed to get away with all three of you on her tail, I wouldn’t have been able to stop her from running without hitting her first.”
Celine waved her hand over her shoulder in acknowledgment as she stepped forwards, stopping beside Mira. Rumi unconsciously bared her fangs, though she knew Celine couldn’t see them behind the mask.
Celine nodded, turning to glance at the alley entrance then back. “Now, where were we? Ah, yes, you were about to come with us.”
Rumi grit her teeth, hand still putting pressure on her shoulder. She could feel her magic, both the internal one -which must be demonic, if Celine was telling the truth about her markings- and the external were somehow muted. If she had to guess, it’s probably from the arrow in her shoulder.
Celine took a step forwards, raising a hand.
Rumi moved.
Using the claw she’d had behind her back, she tore out the brick she’d been working to get out and chucked it at Celine. In the same motion, Rumi ripped the arrow out of her shoulder.
Celine calmly stepped aside, not even bothering to watch the brick. Her eyes did widen in shock when she saw what Rumi had done, and they widened even further as mist began to coalesce around Rumi.
“Nah.” Rumi spat, feeling that oh so familiar tug in her gut as she began to vanish. She let herself drop into a crouch, hoping the angle change would let her avoid the arrow surely loosed at her heart.
That was her last mistake.
A blade stabbed her in the stomach, and the mist vanished from around her.
Rumi felt bile rise in her throat as she dropped to her knees, hurling acrid tasting liquid tinted brown. She looked up, vision going blurry from the pain to see Celine holding her other sword, looking surprised. Giraffe shouldered past her, saying something, but Rumi couldn’t make out the words.
Why doesn’t it hurt anymore?
Darkness is gathering at the edges of her vision, and she can feel some kind of cloth get removed from her face.
Something about that feels important, but Rumi feels too cold to care.
Why is it so cold?
The last thing Rumi sees before her vision fades completely is Zoey dropping down next to Giraffe, tears beading in her eyes.
Rumi can’t resist when she sees someone else’s tears.
So she starts to cry, even as she passes out from the pain.
—
An unknown amount of time later…
The first thing she registers is the beeping. It’s steady, repetitive in the way a metronome might be. Her ears twitched at the sound, letting her become aware of her head resting on something incredibly soft.
A finger twitch told her she was laying on something very soft as well, with a blanket thrown over her if she had to guess.
A bed, then. Possibly a hospitable bed.
Rumi tried to force her sluggish mind to move, to piece together what led her to here.
Celine.
Celine had found her again, sending her hunters to wear Rumi down with the chase first. When she’d appeared, Rumi had managed to somewhat slip past them before a woman named Poppy shot her with a freaking bow.
Then, when Rumi had tried to make her escape, she’d been stabbed in the stomach by Celine.
No, that’s not quite right.
She can recall how she’d dropped into a crouch in hopes of avoiding being hit. A crouch that put her where her legs had been moments before. Celine had gone for the legs.
And had instead nearly killed Rumi.
Also, seriously, why do they all keep going for her legs?? What did they do wrong?? Their good legs!
Rumi took a slightly larger breath, letting it settle her annoyance. It also had the unintended effect of letting her know just how many bandages are wrapped around her torso, and how freaking painful it is.
Rumi groaned, eyes opening as she gently put a hand on her stomach. The harsh white lights had her flinching at first, but they adjusted quickly letting her see the room.
There were three beds, including here, but she was the only occupied one. Montiering equipment was hooked up to Rumi, and a glance to the side showed the heart monitor that had roused her in the first place.
She’s in some kind of medbay, Rumi surmises. With a groan of pain, Rumi pushes herself into a seated position. Her lips were surprisingly dry, Rumi licked them to try and get some moisture in them.
That unfortunately revealed that her mask, the one she’d been using to protect her actual identity, was missing.
And, Rumi belatedly realized, so were her clothes. More crucially? Her wallet, which she’d had in her pocket. Her id, her credit cards, the little amount of cash she carried on her, all of it.
“Shit…” Rumi croaked.
The bedside table next to her had a glass of water, but Rumi didn’t trust that in the slightest. There’s a sink in the corner, so Rumi quickly turns off the monitoring equipment and pulls off all the little suction cups to begin the very long, very painful process of limping to the water.
A bandage on her ankle, likely from the fall though she hadn’t noticed at the time, supported her and hindered her efforts. It took a painfully long time to get to the sink, but when she turned it on and began guzzling it down it was all worth it.
It was like nectar from the gods of old, cleansing and freeing and filling in all the best ways. She drank more than she probably should have, and definitely for too long.
She missed the door opening, right up until she heard the gasp behind her.
“Rumi? Why are you out of bed?”
Rumi spun, summoning her sword with one hand and shutting off the water with the other. Rumi grimaced as the motion strained the wound in her stomach but otherwise didn’t show the discomfort.
The intruder, Zoey, jolted as the weapon was pointed at her. Giraffe was standing behind her, but didn’t move to summon her own weapon as usual, instead opting to simply pull Zoey back a few steps.
Rumi didn’t move for several seconds, debating, before deciding that whatever this place is and whatever they want with her was not worth it.
Mist gathered around Rumi again as she prepared to teleport.
But…
Nothing happened.
Rumi blinked, glancing down and finally noticing the symbols that had been put on the bandages.
“Finally noticed?” Giraffe asked. Rumi looked up with a glare. “We had to stop you from teleporting, so you wouldn’t try to run the second you woke up.”
Rumi reached down with one hand, intending to tear through the bandages with her claws, but they were missing too.
Rumi looked at her hand in disbelief and betrayal, before returning the glare to the Giraffe. She reached in, towards that internal magic she’d become so familiar with, only to find it walled off.
With a slow movement, Rumi felt at her neck. A pendant was hanging there, tight enough that Rumi had thought it was just another bandage. Zoey winced as Rumi pulled on it, then pulled harder.
They both lunged and grabbed her when she brought her sword up to her neck to try and cut it off.
“Let go of me!” Rumi tried to shout, but it came out as more of a whimper as the struggling twisted at her wounds. Her sword dissipated as they held her, moreso supporting her rather than restraining her.
Rumi felt her cheeks burning as they brought her back to the bed, mostly ignoring her weak attempts to pull out of their grip as they settled her back in. Rumi glared from the bed, one hand pressing against her stomach while the other helps keep her up in her seated position.
The two sit in chairs next to her bed, looking uncharacteristically nervous. Zoey nudges giraffe, who looks at Zoey incredulously.
Zoey rolls her eyes, gesturing at Rumi again. “She obviously wants to know what it is, Mira, and you know more about it than I do.”
So giraffes name is Mira. Rumi resolves herself to keep calling her giraffe.
Giraffe clears her throat, nodding. “So, as you probably could tell, you can’t use any demon powers.” She paused for a response, but didn’t get one. “It’s a specialty made talisman that’s supposed to prevent demons from escaping certain areas. So long as you wear it, you won’t teleport, shapeshift, or steal souls.”
Rumi snarled at that, making them both jump. Well, at least I can still do that, Rumi thinks morbidly. “I don’t steal souls. Never have, and don’t ever want to know if I can.”
Mira and Zoey share another one of those insidious looks, the ones that Rumi could never read but meant that she needed to run. Only this time, she couldn’t run anywhere.
Zoey opened her mouth to say something, but the door opening interrupted her. Celine strode through, followed by Poppy who was still wielding her bow.
Rumi didn’t hesitate to summon her sword, lifting it as best she could to keep it between her and the arrow already strung. Poppy snorted at the sight, but didn’t raise or dispel her bow. She simply held it, an obvious threat and warning.
Celine looked surprised, glancing between the now awake Rumi and the two young woman sitting next to her. “Mira, Zoey, I was under the impression you were sleeping?”
Zoey winced, but Mira responded. “We tried, but…” she glanced at Rumi, then back to Celine, “we couldn’t fall asleep without making sure Rumi was still stable. When we came in she was already awake and drinking water from the sink.”
Celine raised a brow, turning her gaze to the still full glass of water beside Rumi then back. “Why not just drink the water we left?”
Rumi didn’t answer, her eyes darting between Celine and Poppy for potential threats. At the lack of a response, Celine sighed and began to stride towards Rumi. Said half demon braced with her sword, but a warning creak from Poppy had her lowering it slightly and shooting a glare at her.
Celine stopped next to the bed on the opposite side of Zoey and the Giraffe, eyes searching over Rumi’s slightly trembling form. When had she started trembling?
“How are you feeling, Rumi?” Celine gently asked.
Rumi full on gaped at her for a moment. In all their past interactions, Celine had been more than happy to hurl insults and weapons (and one time a semi truck) at Rumi. She’d never once heard her say anything in a gentle way to her.
Celine waited, her imperious brow still raised in question. Rumi glanced at Zoey and the Giraffe, the former who gave her a thumbs up and the latter a nod, then back.
So, Rumi responded the best way she knew how.
With sarcasm.
“Like a prisoner. Yknow, collared and all.” She tugged at the pendant, wincing as her shoulder twinged at the sudden movement.
Celine narrowed her eyes a little, gaze flattening into the more familiar one Rumi was used to. “Well enough to sass me, at least. That’s better than I thought you’d be, considering…” she trailed off, eyes darting to Rumi’s bandaged torso then to her shoulder.
Rumi shrugged in answer. “I’ve had worse.” She said.
The best part? She really has been hurt worse in the past.
By Celine.
That got a reaction from the entire room. Zoey full on gasped, Mir-Giraffe leaned forwards with a furrowed brow, Poppy snorted, and Celine’s brow pinched in what might be worrying or more likely annoyance.
“So. You all gonna dissect me or torture me now or what?” Rumi kept her tone as jovial as she could, but she couldn’t quite keep the tremble out of her voice.
Poppy chimed in before anyone else could respond. “I vote for the dissection. Maybe we can cut the demon out of the hunter?”
Celine turned, hissing something in rapid fire- is that Russian?? That made Poppy flinch. She nodded, dispelling the bow. Celine let out another sigh-she really liked to do that- and turned back to Rumi.
“Neither. Once your recovered, you’ll start training.” Celine answered.
Rumi lifted her hands, making an X shape while not letting her sword cut anything. “Nope. Nope nope nopety nope. Not helping you, don’t wanna be a part of all this.”
Celine didn’t seem surprised. In fact, she seemed to have prepared for this. “Rumi, while you were out I did some research on you.” Rumi tensed, already not liking where this was going. “You have less than a thousand wan in your bank account, you’ve lost more jobs in the last year alone than almost anyone in Korea, and as far as I could tell your social life is more empty than your trust in us.”
Rumi grit her teeth. “Whose fault is that, do you think? It might just be possible, though I could be wrong, that it’s because you three were hunting me!” She hissed, directing the last bit at Zoey and Mira.
She felt a grim satisfaction as they both averted their gazes, faces pinched as if in pain.
Celine shrugged. “My point still stands. At this point, no employer will want to hire you and no one would care if you starved to death on the street. What I’m offering is room and board and a chance to make a lot of money.”
Rumi glared at Celine, but didn’t say anything, so she continued.
“For five years, I want you to work with Mira and Zoey. The two of them will become idols, and with your help hopefully create the Golden Honmoon.”
Rumi narrowed her eyes. “What the hell is a golden Honmoon?”
“It’s the ultimate goal of hunters. To permanently seal all demons below with Gwi-ma, so he might starve to death and his servants suffer eternally.”
Rumi quirked a brow. “His servants being any and all demons, right?” The question seemed innocent.
It was not.
“Yes, every demon would be sealed away forever, and any caught on this side would probably be destroyed or trapped.” Celine answered.
Then she froze.
Rumi didn’t smile as she spoke. “And where does that leave me, Celine? I’m half demon, so what are the odds I’d be destroyed or yanked down to him?” She didn’t let Celine answer. “You don’t know, and you want to know how I know? Because if this Golden Honmoon is the goal of hunters, then they havn’t achieved it yet so you have no idea what it would do to me. Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer living in squalor then being annihilated.”
Mira was the one to respond as Celine looked stunned. “You’re a hunter first, Rumi. The Honmoon wouldn’t do that to you.”
Rumi turned sharply. “And how would you know, Giraffe? Unlike you two, I actually have to consider what might happen because if I don’t, I might end up, I dunno, stabbed after being shot by an arrow?”
She turned to glare at Poppy and Celine as she said the last part. Celine let out yet another sigh and shook her head.
“We’ll leave you for a bit so you can get some sleep. I’ll look at the archives and see if I can find what the Golden Honmoon might do to you in the meantime.” Celine said.
That… surprised Rumi, just a bit. She hadn’t expected Celine to actually be willing to try and help assuage Rumi’s concerns, spiteful as they were.
“Zoey, Mira, you two should get some sleep. Poppy, I’ll need your help in the archives.” Celine didn’t wait for debate or further arguments, instead moving and dragging Poppy with her out the door.
A hand landed on Rumi’s, the one without her sword, which made her jerk and yank it back. Zoey jerked her hand back, giving her an apologetic look.
“Rumi…” Zoey trailed off, seeming unsure where to start.
She felt tired, then. A bone deep weariness that comes from being hunted for months by the two women now trying to pretend like their people she could ever trust.
And unbeknownst to her, they even had hopes she’d eventually love them.
“Save it, Zoey.” She glared at Mira. “And you don’t say a word, either. I want to be perfectly clear; you kidnapped me. I am not here because I chose to be or want to be, I am here because I was physically forced to be. I don’t want to be friends, I don’t want to get to know you, and I most certainly don’t want you to know me.” She slid down her bed, pulling the blanket up to her chin as she dispelled her sword, turning her back to them. “Just leave me alone, at least this once. Not that you actually care about listening, but I for one am too tired to hear you try and justify what you’ve been doing to me.”
She heard some shuffling, and a plaintive “Mira, I…” but she ignored it. They left not long after, shutting off all but one of the lights.
She also heard the distinctive sound of a padlock clicking shut outside the door.
Great.
Rumi let her eyes drift shut then. She knew she’s a far way off from falling asleep, but if she can pretend hard enough then maybe she can find a way to leave, even if it’s just in her mind.
Rumi’s ankle twinged.
——
Well, this was fun to write. Hope y’all enjoyed it!