Hello everyone! Just wanted to get this out of the way to practice writing again, so I did this as a little prompt/gift since a lot of you want Baby Saja and Reader, so I wrote a G/T scene with that in mind. This is me just testing things out since I never written for the fandom before nor any reader/second person view. And it's been a while since I really written something giant-related. Please let me know if I need to change anything or add something. I hope you enjoy.
"There you are~"
You froze, uncovering your face from the blankets that wrapped around your body. It could not be. That deep voice shook the building you called home, crooning dangerously. You would have otherwise blushed at the notion if it were not for the fact that the voice's source was looking right at you with glowing golden eyes.
Baby of the Saja Boys.
Unlike the adorable idol you had seen on social media, there Baby stood at fifty feet tall, garbed in traditional black clothing and both a gat and boots to match. His skin was the color of fuchsia with violet patterns that flowed endlessly. The once bright teal hair had darkened, almost matching his purple ensemble. He looked demonic yet somehow more attractive as he gave a smug smirk with sharp fangs.
"You made me work up an appetite to find you, Pepper! You're lively for a small human, aren't you?" He strolled towards your apartment building, humming bars as he gracefully stomped, his footsteps shaking the ground in a beat. He stopped right in front of the building, a golden eye taking up the window.
You blushed, standing up from your bed with a blanket still wrapped around your shoulders as you backed away slightly. You could hear Baby's smirk grow as he chuckled.
"Damn, it's like looking at one of those vending machines, right? I wonder what I should pick for my snack. Maybe something sweet and spicy? Like you?" Baby pulled back and pressed a claw onto your window, gently giving it a few taps before he pointed to his open mouth, then traced his neck with the same finger, trailing it to his abdomen.
You trembled in fear and excitement, not knowing whether to run, hide, or give yourself up.
"Hmm, how to get you, though? Wait, I can do this." As if to tease, Baby lowered his hand to three floors below you as he used his claw to cut out the window effortlessly. He then held out his hand and commanded, "Come to Baby."
Suddenly, you froze as your body tingled and purple patterns appeared on your skin. Before you could speak up, the patterns glowed, and you levitated into the air. Your body flung away on its own, an invisible force pushing you out the door, into the hallway, down a few flights of stairs, then out through the opening he had made as you landed a bit roughly into his hand.
Baby grinned in satisfaction, watching the patterns disappear. "There we go, right where I want you." Using a free hand, he pressed it onto the building, his smile a little sinister.
"Tip~" A simple shove sent the building falling and crumbling to pieces. With a laugh, Baby carried you in his hand like a doll while you caught your breath. The way he swung his legs in a fluid yet deliberate motion made him destructive and still the same K-pop star you had seen in public. He stopped at another part of the city, sitting on one of the smaller buildings like a chair as he held you to eye-level with a mischievous grin.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
"Hey, everybody. You must all be so sad about Huntrix's breakup. We are, too. So, to cheer everyone up, we're going to do a special live performance tonight. Midnight. Namsan Tower. Wouldn't you know it, but we also have a pre-show where we showcase upcoming artists who want to perform and support our Pride. Don't miss it for the world~"
Title: Dazed
Fandom: Kpop Demon Hunters
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 6,531
Main Character(s): Jinu, Gwi-Ma, Firefly (OC)
Relationship(s): General/Platonic Relationships with the OCs, Jinu & Firefly, Jinu & Gwi-Ma, Gwi-Ma & Firefly; Baby Saja/Firefly near the end
Summary: A Fanfic based on Art Fight 2025! What if, before "Your Idol", there was an opening performance to set up the scene? A Korean-American 3/4 of a demon named Hae-jin Brooks is stopped by Jinu and Gwi-Ma under the pretense of a challenge where the former must perform at Namsan Tower to save as many souls as possible. When Hae-jin agrees and performs as Firefly, he gets more than he bargains for as he finds obstacles in his way, including a secret plot to keep him in check.
A thing I made before Art Fight ended yesterday. Occasionally, I would draw and since Kpop Demon Hunters is popular, I wanted to do something for free because I liked the interactions OCs play with. I also wanted to develop my Demon OC Hae-jin/Firefly more, so this was born. I know it's a little confusing, but I wanted to write it to get it out and brainstorm. There will be other fics with Firefly in them prior to this. This is a songfic with "Drunk-Dazed" by Enhypen where a 3/4 demon makes a bet to save souls while obstacles stand in his way. This was inspired by a TikTok edit with the same song.
As for the OCs themselves, I did ask permission to write them before hand and I did ask about how to write them. So in order of appearance:
Kito the Makeup Artist created by @koda-artz
Lyla the Saja Boys Manager created by HorrorStarz (Art Fight/doodlebydylight on twitter)
Freak Saja created by @zeka-amos
Suho created by Jml_Yio (Art Fight/instagram)
Jae-Seong created by Morobami (Art Fight, Instagram, Toyhouse)
Doll created by @cottoncandyjojo
Min-jae created by JEDIKNIGHT (Art Fight/Twitter/Toyhouse)
Yejoon created by @multiple-ratz
Thank you so much for the artwork. It's one of my longest one-shots so far and I hope this is okay. I know it's long, but I'll try to post it on here too under the cut:
“Well done. Ready to forget it all?”
“…”
“Good. I’m ready to feast.”
This was it. Every demon was lined up and prepared for the moment to steal all the fans of Seoul and give them to Gwi-Ma. Then, the voices would be gone. His Family. Rumi. Jinu would be free in the pits of Hell, but free. However, something nagged at him like a woodpecker. It was the way his younger sister pleaded with him to take her. It was when the little girl at the autograph signing drew something for him. It was the conversations he would have with demon allies and rivals. Whatever dwindling humanity Jinu had left flashed before his eyes, and he raised his hand.
“Wait. Before we start, I have an idea that might enhance the dining experience.”
"Okay, I overstayed my welcome! Time to get out of dodge."
What was supposed to be a few weeks of vacation in South Korea for relaxation, discovering one's heritage, and a soul-searching life journey became weeks of questionable chaos for Hae-jin. Not only did he have contact with the demon realm, which was completely different than the one in America, but the Korean American (with no fault of his own) had unknowingly stepped into a battle he did not know existed. And now, midnight was close at hand, which meant it was time to pack his bags.
The blond streak in his black hair glowed in worry as Hae-jin packed the essential items as well as whatever cool souvenirs he gathered. With nearly all of Seoul gathering at Namsan Tower and the demons busy, he would have enough time to sneak out and run to the nearest airport or at least a boat. Whichever came first.
A caw startled the man, who belonged to a familiar six-eyed crow with a tiny hat, glaring at him from on top of a wall. Hae-jin scowled back before shoving the rest of his clothes in the luggage.
"Don't give me that look, bird! I'm only a quarter human. Even if Gwi-Ma is literal hellfire that I can avoid, he has an army at his disposal. I can't compete with that! I did what I was told, and that's it. If anything, once I get back to America, I'll warn other people or maybe get someone more qualified to deal with reapers and demon kings." Satisfied with his reasoning, he picked up his suitcases and luggage with determination. “New York City, here I come!”
“Where do you think you’re going?” Jinu's voice asked from behind Hae-jin, causing the latter to stumble and drop his bags.
“Nowhere!” Hae-jin exclaimed as he threw his bags to the side, ignoring laughter from Jinu's bird. “I was just going to see if there were any stragglers out there! Shouldn’t you be in Namsan Tower?”
“Shouldn’t you?” Jinu challenged with a raised eyebrow. Hae-jin noticed that, unlike the human form that Jinu preferred to be when in the human realm, Jinu was his true self: patterns, hanbok, and the works.
"I told you I'm an outsider. Nobody. This feast has nothing to do with me. Besides, all of us are dealing with--" For a moment, Hae-jin's brown eyes locked with Jinu's eyes, briefly flashing gold before Hae-jin's patterns appeared on his body and he sighed, looking away. "-shame. I did my part, and I don't want to take up your time."
Jinu's neutral expression of calm and collected did not falter as he replied, “Gwi-Ma would like to speak with you before you go.”
“I don’t want to be a bother. He’s probably busy—” One moment, Firefly was speaking with Jinu at the courtyard. The next moment, he was in front of the giant pink demonic flames that towered over several demons instantly, making him jolt and wheeze. He could never get used to demon magic.
“Hae-jin Brooks, we meet at last. Or should I refer to you as Firefly?” The living demonic flame mused with an unreadable smile.
"Never mind! Firefly is fine. What's up, Gwi-Ma?" Hae-jin, who now adopted his public role as Firefly, smiled and waved his hand casually like greeting a friend.
"I was about to feast when Jinu told me something interesting. I heard you two talking about sparing a few souls?"
Firefly gulped nervously. He remembered the conversations he had with Jinu. More like casual observations and rants, such as the harm that Gwi-Ma could do or sparing the souls that did not deserve to be consumed, like the children, or some exceptions. Firefly also remembered his first time in the demon realm, where he witnessed a female demon being incinerated. And now he was at the literal line of fire. Resisting the urge to make faces or strangle Jinu where he stood, Firefly took a breath and explained nonchalantly.
“Well, it's just the practical logic of it. If you eat every soul at once, what happens when you get hungry again? There would be no souls left to eat, right? Besides, some of the souls are probably not ripe enough yet, or they might taste bad. If you want future meals forever, you’ve got to save some for later. You'll be set for the afterlife!”
Gwi-Ma's mouth disappeared in thought, his flames quirking in Jinu's direction, who nodded. After thinking about it, the grin returned to the demon king's face.
“You know, you do have a point. Lucky for you, I am in a good mood since Huntrix has been disbanded. So, I have a proposition for you.”
Firefly's face fell in shock. "You do?"
“Do you think you can save some souls? I want you to open for the Saja Boys soon with a song and style of your choice. You shall oversee the performance for the most part. While performing, save as many souls as you can while entertaining the crowd. If you please me afterward, I will promise to spare every soul you manage to save, along with other requests you may have. What do you say? Want to perform in an opportunity of a lifetime?”
Hesitating, Firefly turned to the sea of demons behind him. Nearly all of them had mixed reactions, some with anticipation or worry. The Saja Boys were smirking with glowing eyes. The Jeoseung Saja in general were humming the Funeral March to themselves. And Jinu looked emotionless as ever. Firefly figured that he had no choice in the matter; he could try to save some innocent souls this way, and he secretly wanted to perform. So, he smiled and nodded.
"Okay then. It sounds interesting. I'm in, or as someone in this new generation might say, A'ight, bet!" Firefly stretched out his right hand, in which a flame appeared, and shook the hand without burning himself. Gwi-Ma chuckled, exchanging a mischievous grin with the demon boy band.
"Good~ Leave everything to me and my boys. You're in for a real treat."
"Hey, everybody. You must all be so sad about Huntrix's breakup. We are, too. So, to cheer everyone up, we're going to do a special live performance tonight. Midnight. Namsan Tower. Wouldn't you know it, but we also have a pre-show where we showcase upcoming artists who want to perform and support our Pride. Don't miss it for the world~"
Namsan Tower
11:30 PM
“Saja, Saja, Saja, SAJA!” The fans chanted as they waved their lion light sticks, waiting for the Saja Boys. Security was tight, and everyone (save for the hypnotized Mira and Zoey) was cheering their heads off. Abby's voice came from invisible loudspeakers as he chuckled,
“Okay, I know you guys want us, but we want to highlight some of our friends who helped us get to where we are now.”
“Before Midnight, we already had some artists show their flair on the stage, and we are having a friendly competition to see who your next idol on the World Tour will be!” Romance added.
Mystery spoke up, “Up next, we have a special guest who will sing with our supporters. You know him from the World Wide Web as the singer who weaves stories into songs.”
“Everyone, put your hands together for Firefly! MAKE SOME NOISE!” Baby barked, causing fans to cheer. Some, however, felt confused as they talked amongst themselves.
“Firefly?”
“You guys never heard of Firefly?”
“I’m not surprised since he’s an independent soloist on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. He does his own thing while he’s open to collabs with almost anybody.”
"I heard his real name is Hae-jin Brooks, who's possibly the son of Carol Brooks, a former vocalist.”
"He came from New York City, growing up in a place called Connecticut in the United States."
"He could throw around a Yo-Yo like nobody's business!"
“He’s great with kids and looks like a childhood sweetheart. Like a friendly neighbor in a cozy suburb deal or a cool older brother.”
"Music flows through his soul constantly. They say he's a guiding light to people, and if he watches you closely, he could sing a song that speaks to you!"
“His popularity increased since he did some collabs with the Saja Boys, but I don’t know what he’ll do if he performs here!”
Just then, Jinu's voice rang through the arena, causing the crowd to silence themselves:
There once was an enchanted forest where fireflies swarm and dwell. These fireflies were said to give whoever was near power, serenity, and everlasting life. A pride of lions heard the stories and wanted power for themselves. The leader decided that if he ate the fireflies, then all the power would be his. One firefly volunteered to lead his kin to safety by any means necessary, even if it meant his soul.
Every fan cheered in delight.
Backstage, a few reaper demons hung around talking amongst themselves.
"That's a dead man walking if I ever saw one."
"I bet you that wannabe demon won't last five minutes without selling his soul or going crazy."
"I'll take that bet."
"Gwi-Ma must be planning something if he agreed to all this."
"I hate to be one of the suckers who gets to dance with the one who mouthed off Gwi-Ma."
"Oh, so you're a chicken, Jae-Seong? Not wanting to show your moves or get souls for free?"
"... Okay, I'm going to kill it on stage. You'll see!"
Meanwhile, an unaware Firefly was sitting on a chair in a dressing room, getting makeup done. Along with some patterns that he displayed on his skin, he wore a dark purple modern hanbok with gold trim and dark green pants.
Kito, a blue-haired demon with tusk-like fangs, scowled as he briefly hit Firefly's forehead with a makeup brush. “What were you thinking, taking on a bet with Gwi-Ma?!”
"Whoa, hey! Easy with the face!" Firefly pulled back with a light forced laugh. "To be fair, I did not know that the demon king would be like that. He hasn't touched me yet. You think he would have let me go if I said no?"
Kito sighed. "All I'm saying is that you better know what you're doing. I don't wanna lose someone who knows how annoying things are. You're fun to talk to."
"Gee, thanks." Firefly held still for the final touch-up as an older blonde woman wearing a business outfit and holding a clipboard, her golden eyes glancing towards him. He recognized her managing the Saja Boys behind the scenes.
"Hey, Lyla." He greeted casually.
Lyla spoke firmly. "Hae-jin Brooks, I'm here to relay the terms of your challenge with Gwi-Ma. I take it, you know the song you're performing?"
Firefly nodded.
"Good. We set everything up, so the sky is the limit for your performance. You will have backup. You must make it so that when you save someone, it's willing and believable. You can touch them or use magic to teleport humans to a safe location. You must stay within the limits of the arena. No attempts at escape or to save Huntrix. You will both perform at the concert and live internationally. You will use the cellphone we provide to go live, and we will be confiscating your phone." Lyla held out her hand, and Firefly reluctantly gave her his phone. "Gwi-Ma will judge you and decide your fate. Do you agree with these terms?"
"I guess so."
"Best of luck." Lyla conjured up a pink glowing phone already set up for streaming as it levitated and recorded. "You are live in five." She hid to the side as Kito did the last of the makeup before Firefly leaned back in his chair and smiled as the stream started. His video was displayed on the large screens of the arena.
"Hey, my little fireflies~" Firefly cheered as he posed finger-guns, hooked his thumbs together, and waved his pointer fingers twice to imitate a heartbeat. He heard muffled cheering from outside, which made him smile even more. "Welcome to my livestream! I got invited to this free concert by the Saja Boys themselves. I'm looking forward to seeing them. It's going to be LIT!"
Lyla then leaned towards Firefly, whispering in which direction he should be walking to the stage. He nodded and improvised for the audience.
"Wait, you want me to sing? At this concert? Live?! And I'm on at TEN?! I couldn't possibly-- who am I kidding? I've been waiting for this all night. Count down for me!"
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two... one!" As the fans counted down, Firefly rushed out from backstage. Along his way, he autographed a Saja Boy t-shirt from a water demon named Jelly, who cried with joy. He reached one of the side entrances of the arena, his heart beating fast, but he let the excitement of the crowd replace his anxiety for now.
"Who wants to be saved?!" Firefly announced. He took a glance at the stage, seeing that it was decorated to look like a dark forest clearing with a swamp and floating lanterns to resemble fireflies. The fans were cheering their heads off as some of their Saja Boy lights glowed a gold color. Surprised, he waited for his cue and made his move when the music began.
"Beautiful and brilliant,” Firefly sang as he ran down the aisle with his hand brushing against those who reached out, the people disappearing in golden light upon contact. "My glowing vision is shining like a diamond."
Firefly reached the main stage, twirling around while making small golden orbs fly out of his arms and towards the crowd. "A world with no limits. Everything has been turned upside down."
Suddenly, six people rushed down the aisle as well, two for each aisle. Judging from the dark hanboks, shoes, unique accessories, and gats they wore, they were demons. From one of the side screens, Firefly saw a close-up of each Jeoseung Saja and their name as the crowd sang along with the demons.
"Turning up the party!" A pale demon with spiky blue hair and yellow eyes smirked dangerously. Freak.
"Now!"
"Chaos, everybody!" A light, purple-skinned man with dark purple hair, a tall stature, and golden eyes growled excitedly. Suho.
"Wow!"
"People going ha-ha!" A pale violet man with black hair tied in a bun and golden eyes laughed with the crowd. Jae-Seong.
"High!"
"Music being la-la!" A pale, blue-skinned man with his hair split between a pale light blue and pink crooned playfully. Doll.
"Loud!"
"It's dazzling, baby!" A tall, pink-haired man with pale grey skin, black-and-gold eyes, and purple patterns smirked with a glisten of his fangs. Min-jae.
"This light is shining," sang a light violet-peach-skinned demon with yellow eyes, green-yellow hair, eyeglasses, and silver buckles in his outfit. Yejoon.
"We're in love with this carnival." All six demons harmonized before they huddled around Firefly.
Firefly, who was still in his pale human form, sighed in relief. "Thanks for the help, guys. You are a soul-saver!"
“We’re not here to help you,” Yejoon said matter-of-factly.
Suho added, “We’re here to stop you.”
Firefly's face fell. “Huh?” Gwi-Ma's voice echoed in the demons' minds.
Did you really think it would be that easy to get souls? I’ve recruited a team specifically for this. And to make things interesting, I told them about your Hunter abilities. Good luck~
Everyone tensed at the words, six pairs of eyes all staring at the 3/4 demon as if he could end them at any time.
"Don't worry. I'm on your side. I don't want a potential crush for my older brother to disappear on me." Doll whispered with a wink.
“I’m just here to go with the flow, and I have nothing better to do.” Min-jae shrugged.
It seemed that everyone else was there as an obstacle... until they all turned to Jae-Seong.
Jae-Seong scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Don’t look at me. I’m just here to make sure you guys don’t embarrass yourselves in front of millions!”
With the stakes running high, the seven performers broke out of the huddle, Firefly walking to the front of the stage while acting nervous.
"Honestly, I'm scared. It seems everyone's spinning round in a daze."
As the six reaper demons vocalized, Firefly moved his arms and hands, which glowed golden, as he focused on a few young fans and managed to teleport them before his adversaries reached them with claws out as they all sang.
"I feel my burning heart's on the edge, but I just wanna stay."
The seven demons then jumped at a distance, posed as ghouls or zombies, synchronized as they sang, "Now, my head is in a daze, daze, daze. I want more, so hit replay, play, play. Any way you want it now. Run so far to reach it now. We're trapped in this carnival, wow, wow!"
Fans cheered, the lights sparkling above them as the performers were positioned like six reapers surrounding a firefly. Firefly stood in the center, moving his hands as he feigned swaying as if his eyes were hypnotized, and the reapers responded to his call.
"Our heart's back inside the..."
"Daze, daze, daze!"
"Can't control my body..."
"Dance, dance, dance!"
"This sweet scent of growing..."
"Dread!
"Makes my sharp fangs glow bright..."
"Red!"
"Let's enjoy this carnival, wow, wow!"
While the song played in the concert, on the other side, where the demon realm resided, the Saja Boys stood and watched with Gwi-Ma, who stood behind them, blazing enormously.
"Their moves are so in sync for demons who knew about each other once or twice," Abby commented, studying their movements.
"I don't know how I feel about nearly half of them looking like Maknae, but there is a visual variety that's pleasing to the eye." Romance added.
"And their voices blend well with each other." Mystery commented, his hidden eyes closed to listen to the music more. Baby just bopped his head to the beat, then whispered to Gwi-Ma, whose bright flames dimmed in thought for a second.
"I agree, but don't forget what this truly is. We need to make sure that Firefly does not even think of being a Hunter ever. It will go according to plan." Jinu reminded everyone emotionlessly as he kept watching Firefly and added with a filtered voice, "Lyla, it's time for phase two."
From backstage, Lyla nodded as she unlocked Firefly's cell phone and enchanted it. All his TikTok drafts were posted, photos uploaded on Instagram, blogs updated, and every post on social media promoted for everyone to see. Several demons who worked under Lyla helped by liking, sharing, and commenting on posts.
In a matter of minutes, Firefly blew up the internet with smiles, songs, and charm.
Meanwhile, Hae-jin Brooks was having the time of his life at his first live performance. The best way to describe the choreography was if someone were to combine K-pop, breakdance, Michael Jackson's "Thriller", and the fighting styles of "West Side Story". Firefly would manage to save a few fans, only to either get blocked or redirected. Doll and Jae-Seong would occasionally give Firefly openings to save souls. And the latter could not help but feel that he was being watched in the shadows.
"Mm, call me out from across the floor," Firefly sang as he slid away from swiping claws.
"Everything changes, everything phases!"
"I reach past and through the locked door."
"The Pain welcomes me, making me thirsty!"
Curious, his eyes briefly flashed magenta and gold as he searched through the arena. The sea of fans was so blended that he could not differentiate between specific souls. He was still new to the Honmoon, but the faded lines told that it was breaking, hanging by a literal thread. And he was the one helping to break it.
"Honestly, I'm afraid. The mirror holds an unfamiliar gaze. The mask reveals the truth and the scars, but I never escape."
When the second chorus hit, Firefly reached into the air and pulled out a golden yo-yo with a rainbow string like the Honmoon. Keeping his distance, he threw his yo-yo in a fluid motion, doing tricks as he aimed at the demons.
Suho and Jae-Seong dodged a Walk-The-Dog.
Doll and Freak evaded a Rock-The-Baby.
Min-jae and Yejoon ducked the Around-The-World trick.
“Watch where you’re aiming that thing!” Freak hissed.
“I do not want to be the demon that got sent back to the realm because of a yo-yo!” Jae-Seong whined with a scowl. “It’s six against one. We could take him.”
“We have to make it believable,” Min-jae frowned. "Otherwise, the main ritual will lose its pull."
Understanding the assignment, the demons pulled back and made their move. First, Yejoon summoned an electric guitar and strummed sound waves that pushed Firefly back as he sang, "Now, my head is in a daze, daze, daze."
"I want more, so hit replay, play, play!" Suho grabbed the yo-yo's string and pulled, sending Firefly flying.
"Any way you want it now!" Freak kneed a stumbling Firefly.
"Run so far to reach it now!" In a fluid motion, Min-jae performed a sweeping drop kick, making Firefly's yo-yo disappear.
Jae-Seong and Doll picked up Firefly from the floor, holding him by the shoulders. "We're trapped in this carnival, wow, wow!"
The crowd swooned and hollered, some of them reaching for the light and disappearing. Others danced or were on their phones to follow the performers on social media. Firefly was not the only one getting a boost of attention.
"My heart's back inside the daze, daze, daze. Can't control my body, dance, dance, dance. This sweet scent of growing dread makes my sharp fangs glow bright red. Let's enjoy this carnival, wow, wow!"
Soon, the performers distanced themselves, and at first, Firefly thought he would have a break from the battle. Once he caught his breath, he did notice something odd: he was kept at the center while the demons surrounded him equally, creating a shape as their patterns began to glow.
This was not a performance. It was a ritual. Before Firefly could break out of the hexagon formation, he blacked out.
Hae-jin Brooks found himself floating in darkness. Voices echoed around him that froze him.
Pathetic. You are weak. You can’t do anything right. You can’t be on your own. You can barely take care of yourself. You’re greedy, and everything is an act. You’re going to die alone with no one to mourn you.
“So, this is where your shame lies.”
Firefly’s eyes widened as he gasped at the familiar voice. The darkness gave way to a bedroom where someone was sleeping while covered up. His body trembled as he hugged himself, and Gwi-Ma continued.
“I must admit it took a while to research, and you covered your tracks well, but now I know all about you. Your father, a demon missing in action who only left you an empty house with spirit animals, empty memories, and demon servants. Your mother, a well-known Demon Hunter who is part demon, and currently ill. What would your mother think seeing you like this: a confused individual who does not know who or what he is?”
“Stop it.” Firefly gripped his arms tightly as he growled a warning.
“You know, I can easily turn the volume up or do something to her? Perhaps a little accident?”
“No, STAY AWAY FROM HER!” He demanded, only to cry out in pain when the harmful voices raised in volume mentally. He dropped to his knees as the scene gave way to more darkness where he could see only the faded and weak lines of the Honmoon. The Honmoon unveiled like a curtain, revealing the enormous Gwi-Ma and the Saja Boys standing by.
Around Firefly, the six demons sang seemingly off the stage.
"This light that's been given to me, a temple's flames on the other side."
“I can help you. You don’t want to be alone. You want attention. You want the voices to stop. You want your mother to be safe? I can provide all of that and more. All I ask, in return, is that you swear your allegiance to me and give me your soul.”
Tears streamed down Hae-jin's cheeks as he stared at Gwi-Ma, confused and lost, reaching a hand out to the flames.
"Till I own my desire, Imma ride!"
The setting blinked and slowed down. Hae-jin was still back on the main stage on his knees with smiling and screaming fans surrounding him, with Gwi-Ma still on the horizon with a grin in the flames.
"Look at the little morsels. They love you. They adore the ground you walk upon. What's so wrong about that?"
Still crying, Hae-jin smiled as he reached for the crowd, his nails sharpening to claws as he sang a cappella, "Now, my head is in a daze, daze, daze. I want more, so hit replay, play, play. Any way you want it now. Run so far to reach it now. We're trapped in this carnival, wow, wow."
He needed it. He craved the attention. He wanted a way out while keeping his mother safe. He glanced back at Gwi-Ma and whispered. "You promise to spare anyone I save, truly?"
"I give you my word, Hae-jin."
“Then what do I have to do?”
“Accept the flames,” Gwi-Ma replied, then the Saja Boys joined in while holding out their claws. “Let us dance with you. And a little favor.”
Firefly nodded. Immediately, magenta flames ignited on his body, causing him to scream at the top of his lungs as his patterns glowed brightly and increased. His skin became a pinkish-plum color. Golden streaks grew in his wild hair. One eye was magenta, the other gold. His outfit changed to a dark purple traditional hanbok with faded golden trim. He now wore a gat with bright gold beads attached. The necklace he wore had its teardrop amulet grow defined and bigger. His fangs sharpened as wings sprouted from his back. Unlike the medium-sized, clear wings of a dragonfly he was used to, his wings burned and grew into pinkish butterfly wings with Gwi-Ma's grin. The screams turned into laughter as Firefly glanced at the aisles where the security staff and gates were keeping the fans in check.
“They don’t need security. You’re all the security they need. The guards and bars are blocking the way to your fans.” Gwi-Ma and the Saja Boys whispered in wicked unison. Firefly's eyes turned completely magenta as he reached into the broken air and pulled out a pink and purple demonic-style yo-yo. In a swift circular motion, he swung the yo-yo towards the aisles. The gates burned away into flames, and the staff doubled over as they turned into light blue orbs that flew straight into Gwi-Ma and the Saja Boys.
When the music gradually resumed at a normal speed, Firefly suddenly hopped onto his feet, jumped back into formation, and posed like a marionette. Pink strings appeared at the ends of his patterns as suddenly, parts of a metal structure popped out of the ground, trapping Firefly.
Firefly smirked as he stared at the crowd, and he covered his ears, swaying side to side while he sang with Baby's voice offscreen, "My heart's trapped inside this daze, daze, daze!"
The six demon performers, who remained still in their spots, posed and danced as if possessed. Firefly uncovered his ears and flexed his body, Abby singing along with him.
"Can't control my body, dance, dance, dance!"
Borrowing from the Soda Pop choreography, Firefly shimmied his shoulders and moved his palms against his chest to imitate a heartbeat, Romance in control this time. "This sweet scent of growing dread..."
"Makes my sharp fangs glow bright red." Next was Mystery's voice as Firefly clawed the air and bared his fangs, which briefly glowed red. He then reached a claw out while singing with Jinu:
"Let's enjoy this carnival, wow, wow!"
With the song coming to a close, Firefly figured that the demons who stood in his way would try any trick in the book to grab at souls. He knew just the yo-yo trick to stop them: DNA. But first, he had one last shot to save souls. He closed his eyes before he opened them. His eyes sparkled and glowed, his face seemed younger, and he flapped his hands excitedly before he beckoned the audience in an ancient demonic language: Run to me.
Those who were entranced roared passionately and ran out towards the stage, disappearing in golden light. The six demons attempted to stop the fans, but they cried out when purple miniature tornadoes blocked their path. Hae-jin held his yo-yo in one hand and used the other to move the string to resemble a moving DNA strand.
"I wake myself up! Burn my heart! Fill my dreams!" Everyone harmonized. Once all of Firefly's fans disappeared, the stage was clear as it displayed an odd sight: six reaper demons surrounding a giant pagoda that looked like a giant lantern with a changed Firefly inside of it. The performers grinned and posed.
"I'm Suho!"
"I'm Jae-Seong~"
"I'm Freak!"
"Yejoon."
"I'm Doll~"
"I’m Min-jae!”
"I'm Firefly and we are..." Firefly glanced at the sky before blurting out, "The Moonlighters!"
"Thank you for joining the Pride!" The seven of them bowed as the fans erupted into applause. The demons then faded off the stage in a purple mist.
Once everyone was in the demon realm, the demon performers grimaced and turned to Firefly. “The Moonlighters? Really?!”
“It was the only thing I could think of because of the full moon! I've never been in a boy band on short notice before. Cut me some slack!"
"Gentlemen," Gwi-Ma cleared his throat. All demons stood at attention as Firefly leaned against one of the walls of his cage.
"A lantern? Nice touch. So, how did I do?" Just then, a water bottle appeared in his hands, startling him, but he appreciated the gesture as he drank some water.
"Not bad. There is always room for improvement, but you did manage to make the performance believable. Mystery, what is his score?"
"Firefly has saved 613 souls. Directly, he sacrificed 30 souls to us. Indirectly, the numbers are still rising by the thousands."
Firefly choked and spat out some water.
"I see. And Yejoon, how long did it take for Hae-jin to succumb to me?"
“He lasted for ten minutes, a new, realm-breaking record.”
Freak turned to a scowling Suho with a smirk. "You owe me~"
Gwi-Ma chuckled, "Good, good. Well done, Hae-jin. Thank you for the appetizer. Lyla would give you the full details later, but I shall give you the main idea. Look at your left hand."
Firefly glanced at his left palm to see a violet burn mark shaped like patterns.
"You belong to me. From now on, you will be known as Firefly Saja. I was going to take all of you, but someone convinced me to save you for dessert. Once I have my fill here, I shall take you completely, and you will be on a world tour starting with the United States. I will spare your loved ones there, but everyone else is fair game. You will answer under me, Lyla, Jinu, and the demon who wants you as a pet."
"Who vouched for me?"
"Other arm." Firefly checked his right shoulder and squinted to make out a pink signature: Baby Saja. His eyes widened and his cheeks flushed a little as he glanced at the teal-haired demon. Baby winked and poked his thumb and pinky claw out, mouthing the words 'Call me' and 'Let's hook up later'.
Upon seeing that, Firefly’s jaw dropped, he had a strange sensation that social media was blowing up with notifications and souls, and Doll dropping to his knees while exclaiming, “YES! MY BROTHER FINALLY FOUND LOVE!”
It got worse: questionable validation and reciprocated feelings before the apocalypse?
"Yup, I'm in the Twilight Zone of Hell."
"Now that you know your fate, never question or doubt me again. Disappoint me or try to defy me, and I get rid of everything you hold dear while ensuring you burn for it. I own you. If I say 'jump', you say 'how high?' If I want a feast, you provide. Do I make myself clear?"
As Firefly gripped his water bottle tightly, the water evaporated straight out of the bottle instantly. He bowed with a strained smile.
"Crystal, your majesty."
"Good, you are dismissed."
As demons started to teleport to different destinations, Doll leaned against Firefly's prison with a smile on his face.
“So… when do I start calling you my ‘brother-in-law'?”
Firefly inhaled sharply and, after exchanging looks with Baby Saja briefly, he bopped Doll on the forehead lightly with his yo-yo.
“Ow! Okay, it’s not the right time. Gotcha!”
In a safe house a distance away from Namsan Tower, hundreds of humans of a variety stayed in comfortable lounge rooms, spared from the hypnotic spell about to befall the rest of the fans. The concert was televised so that the people in the safe house could still watch. Some children were playing with a large glowing blue tiger who somehow showed up out of nowhere to watch over the others. The lounge doors were veiled in a pale gold curtain with a firefly symbol. Outside the lounges, disguised demons walked around, looking at the humans as if they were livestock.
Lyla strolled down a hallway until she spotted Firefly along with his backup performers entering the lobby.
"I take it you had a good challenge? I have your contract right here with all the details involving your new afterlife as Firefly Saja that we can go over. You can also have your phone back." She explained, clipboard in hand, along with Firefly's phone.
Firefly's patterns glowed as he covered his mouth, then he used his free hand to sign in Korean Sign Language, "Wait, I need to do something. Just a minute!"
With Lyla's permission, Firefly rushed to a corner of the lobby and hugged himself, crying as his eyes changed to a yellow color that Lyla recognized as Jinu's eyes. He then sang to himself:
“All these voices in my head, I can’t stop seeing red. Got an appetite for destruction. Look what it did to me. The world made me a monster, so I show my teeth! No need to wonder what’s underneath! Yeah, you can try to keep me down, down, down. But there ain’t no one gonna hear a sound. World made me a monster. World made me a, world made me a, WORLD MADE ME A MONSTER!” He then slumped onto the floor and sobbed, covering his ears.
Lyla had heard of Firefly's ability to find songs from someone's soul, but she never imagined the effects that it had. Something told her that whatever happened, Jinu knew about it. Min-jae, who had observed the little details, sighed before he walked up to Firefly and kneeled to his level.
“Take deep breaths. My bulgae wanted me to give you this.” Min-jae took out a small blue rock half the size of his hand. “It’s a teal gemstone made from the pits of Hell. It has ridges on it. Ground yourself. We'll wait for you.” Firefly took the gemstone and fidgeted with the surface, taking deep breaths. When he was ready, he held out his hand and took the awaiting contract from Lyla, slowly reading it.
"I know it's a lot to go over, but as your new manager, I am here to work with you as long as you keep to the schedule and our orders. Are there any questions or concerns you may have? I was told you have conditions of your own." Lyla inquired patiently.
“... I want to spend my last night as Hae-jin Brooks with my humans that I earned fair and square. Except for the ones I trust, no demon shall harm those I have saved nor pass my barrier. Those who try shall face my wrath.” Firefly growled softly. “Also, as Gwi-Ma’s servant, I want accommodations so that I can be an effective Saja Boy. As long as those terms are met and the promises are kept, I will obey.”
Throughout all this, the six demons tasked to perform looked on with unreadable frowns, either from slight annoyance or perhaps a little guilt. Doll raised his hand.
"For what it's worth, you were really good out there. I can help you out with the humans if that's okay with you."
"Me too," Min-jae nodded. "I'll get whatever you need."
Jae-Seong scoffed and averted his gaze to the side. "Maybe if I'm in the mood, I can teach ya about being a demon and our realm. Can't have you screwing up on your first night as a demon."
"Us too." Suho and Freak raised their hands. "We don't get it, but we can teach you about demons and stuff."
"Until Gwi-Ma calls us for another job, we'll do what we can. I'll make sure the other demons abide by your boundaries. That was a valiant effort on the stage." Yejoon admitted calmly, his expression serious, but his tainted soul secretly had a bit of hope. He and the demons then bowed and added. "It has been an honor to perform with you, Hae-jin Brooks."
Hae-jin stood up and bowed respectfully in return. Although grateful, he was too overwhelmed to emote properly. As Firefly walked to the lounges with Lyla and Doll, Suho stopped Min-jae and asked, "Why did you decide to help him? He's still a human who dug his own grave. What made you act like that?"
"Didn't you notice anything about the souls he saved?" Min-jae replied before joining the small group. Suho, Freak, Yejoon, and Jae-Seong glanced over to one of the lounges and studied the humans in question.
There were children, caretakers, teenagers, neurodivergent people, and the underdogs of society. They swarmed around Firefly, most of them innocent, while some were grateful for his efforts. With dried tears, Firefly interacted with each human like a friend who just signed his soul away for eternal happiness.
MEET YOUR NEW IDOLS: SUHO, FREAK SAJA, MIN-JAE, JAE-SEONG, YEJOON, DOLL.
With so many kudos and comments on "Aiding A Pal" for Archive of Our Own, I've been trying to plug away at the next chapter as best I can while having a breakdown. But I'm fine. Yesterday was my birthday, so I tried to finish it but it's rounding out nicely.
In the meantime, I wanted to show a preview of it by showing the beginning of the next chapter "A Big Helper" which focuses on Jack! Basically, this is how the introduction to Doey scene goes in my AU. Don't know in the content warning, I should put a brief mention of hunting/eating, but it happens in canon and it's not detailed. But if you need me to tag it, please let me know:
Jack was the first one to lay eyes on the "employee" officially. When Ollie had told them of a former employee coming to help, the three children that made up Doey were curious and skeptical. They went up ahead and helped in the background to get the employee through the prison whether it would be unlocking doors, distracting Yarnaby, or leading the way. They might as well, considering they were going on a supply run. Doey almost lost track of them when he had spotted a feral toy beast wandering in ruins that made his stomach growl.
When it came to hunger or eating, Jack always left it up to Matthew and Kevin to hunt. He thought he was not good at it, or he would be playing around too much to eat. He waited for them to break Pianosaurus into bite-sized pieces so they could all share their huge meal, scarfing down everything except for the piano head.
"Now that hit the spot!" Jack chuckled as he, Matthew, and Kevin patted their shared full belly in satisfaction. "I haven't eaten in weeks!" Before they could celebrate, Jack heard a small scuffle and a whimpering sound. From inside Doey, Jack spotted from a distance a small human trembling on their knees with a grab pack on.
Jack gasped in delighted surprise. Is that the employee? They look adorable! Can I meet them? Sure. We're right behind you. A hat formed on Jack's head as he took control, zooming towards the human.
"Hiya there, pal!" He cheered as the human scrambled and scooted further back, nervous and cautious. The human seemed short, probably tall enough almost reaching Doey's waist. Their black shirt and purple pants were tattered, their body sprinkled with dust, and their blond and black hair tied in a ponytail were frazzled as they stared at Doey with wide green eyes, glancing between Doey's face and belly.
"H-Hi? Please don't eat me? I taste bland!" They squeaked in a soft masculine voice, hugging themselves and holding onto their grab pack.
Doey blinked, briefly glancing at his gurgling stomach. No wonder the human looked scared. He shook his head with a giggle, then booped the human's nose with a yellow finger.
"Don't worry. I won't eat YOU~" Jack promised with Kevin joining in. As Jack laughed and held his belly, Kevin muttered Yet quietly. The employee laughed as well albeit nervously. When the laughing died down, Doey tipped his hat in greeting.
"I'm Doey."
The human relaxed himself, smiling as he stretched out a hand to shake. "I'm Aiden. Nice to meet you!" Doey took the small hand and shook it firmly, the dough warm and slimy, but Aiden did not mind. The doughman let go and gave Aiden a serious and thoughtful look, placing his hands on his hips.
"I was told to expect you."
"By who...?" Aiden replied softly, a little cautious. Before he could contemplate what Doey meant, he squealed when Doey grinned and grabbed him with both arms, pulling him back on his feet.
"This way! Follow me~" Doey encouraged. Without thinking about it and wanted to lighten the mood, his body started walking but his smiling face stayed in place for a bit, making his neck stretch out comically just like the cartoons Jack used to watch. Aiden snorted and giggled, making Jack's smile grow. It had been a while since he had heard new and genuine laughter. Perhaps he'll like this potential friend.
Because I’m self indulgent this evening and I got inspired to write a parody scene with my self insert and Tamatoa! I changed a few things around as well as added some OCs for this. Read under the cut:
“No, you're supposed to be scared!” Jess exclaimed angrily as she put her foot down. After everything she did to make sure everyone would be scared enough to leave the house for good, everyone liked being possessed? What was this?! This wasn’t a freaky funhouse show. This was a haunting!
“Jessica, we're so sorry! It didn't work!” Scale apologized with a look of sympathy for the poor woman. He and his friends tried their best. They really did and Jess couldn’t blame the three for it. But this was too much. She bit her lip and shook her head from making any visible tears as she snarled and started for the stairs.
“There's one thing that can still stop him.” It was honestly her last resort, but if she were going to stop her younger brother to making the biggest mistake for their lives, drastic times called for drastic measures! Jess was stopped when Clef and Grave grabbed both of her wrists.
“Jess, no, you don't know what will happen.” Clef tried to reason.
Grave added, “If you do it, he might-”
Jess was having none of it right now. She snarled and pulled away from the two ghosts, her heart pounding and her lungs racing as she marched up the stairs.
“I can't keep living like this!” Her heart was making the decisions now and it was saying to throw caution to the wind and do it no matter what the cost! As she climbed up, Jess spoke aloud. “Tamatoa.”
Her heart skipped a beat as the whole world slowed down all of a sudden except for Jess. From upstairs in his realm, a certain demon heard his name and couldn’t help but chuckle and grin mischievously, his golden tooth glistening within the night. The ghost couldn’t contain his excitement.
“Ooooohoohoohoo! I'm so glad you changed your mind, mon petit pion.” Tamatoa purred in praise. “You are never gonna regret this!”
“Tamatoa...!” Jess growled out as she strode quickly to her room where Tamatoa was waiting for her. She didn’t notice her skin glowing or chains and shackles attached to her own shadow. The man stared at the breather with his arms crossed and an eager face barely in control. It was finally happening. Finally, he’ll be free. Finally, he’ll be visible!
“We are gonna make such a great team!” Tamatoa laughed as the room got darker and glowing markings started to appear on his body. Of pink and blue. Just one more unbroken word. Beckoning for Jess to come in the middle of the room in front of him, Tamatoa stared at Jess’s eyes with his own glowing ones that bore into her true core.
“Give me just one... more!” He encouraged as a red circle appeared underneath her feet. Jess made direct eye contact with him before she threw her head back and roared at the top of her lungs.
“TAMATOA!”
That did it.
As Jess screamed, glowing purple chains appeared and wrapped around her wrists while the other end wrapped around the ghost’s wrists before disappearing. Her skin burned all of a sudden and ink bubbled on the surface before forming into a tattoo of a coconut crab. Jess panted after her scream. Then everything became dark save for the sleazy demon’s blue and pink eyes. He then whispered in a deep, low growl.
“... It’s showtime~!” Jess felt his large hands forcing her eyelids, prompting her to close her eyes. Suddenly, there was a huge gust of wind that seemed to push against the entire house. Jess felt herself being picked up and carried with the sounds of screams in the background and doors opening by themselves. She even heard a few gulps! Or was it her imagination?
After a few more moments of this, Tamatoa spoke up.
“It’s our house now, kid!” Jess opened her eyes to find herself back in the living room. In an empty house. With a demon right in front of her licking his fingers clean.
““Wow...” Jess couldn’t believe it. All of her problems and stress were gone in such a short time. And she had Tamatoa to thank for that. She felt free now. Happy. Herself. And for the first time in months, Jess smiled from ear to ear.
“Looks like we're not invisible anymore, huh?” Tamatoa smirked as he held his hand out. Jess gladly took his hand and held it firmly. Now it was just the two of them against the world and no one was going to stop them. No one. With much resolve, Jess looked on to the near future, unaware of the giant crab shadow behind her holding her hand’s shadow.
This was going to be fun.
