It was always inevitable, she knew. She’d even known it would be Mira and Zoey to do it. To finally end her time upon the planet she’s protected for all these years.
She just… never expected her death to be like this.
“You comfy, Ruru?”
The nickname makes her blush. Mira, one of the woman she loves, is laying on top of her. On their couch. During a movie night.
Rumi finds her voice isn’t working, so she simply nods, hoping her face isn’t too red. Based off of the chuckle Mira lets out at the look on her face, it must be pretty obvious.
Of course, that’s only half the problem.
“You ok if I keep doing this, Ru?”
Zoey, who currently has Rumi’s head in her lap, is carding her hand through Rumi’s hair. She’s almost embarrassed how much more relaxed she feels with each stroke of her fingers.
Rumi doesn’t trust her voice still, instead opting to just nod again.
Zoey let’s put a pleased hum, scratching a little harder against Rumi’s scalp.
A quiet sigh escapes Rumi’s lips.
Shes going to die, but at least she’ll die happy.
The tv keeps playing, some random drama where everyone’s overacting, but Rumi’s too distracted by the pressured warmth from Mira and the repetitive motions from Zoey to focus.
Then something shifts.
It’s subtle, at first. The way Mira starts to slowly rub her thumb in a small circle against her arm, soothing and electric all at once. How Zoey is resting her other hand against Rumi’s neck, not moving but still… there.
Her whole body feels weightless, almost like she’s glowing.
Wait-
“Unnie, your patterns are so pretty like that!”
Rumi jolted. Her patterns are glowing gently, pulsing along with her rapidly beating heart. Before she can respond, a hand started tracing her face. Glancing up as best she could, Rumi met Zoey’s wonder filled eyes.
Another hand began tracing the ones on her neck. Rumi looked down, meeting Mira’s gleeful eyes. Shes sitting up partially now, one hand bracing against the couch, the other still on Rumi.
Rumi’s breath stutters for a second at the look in her eyes. The hunger lurking there. A glance at Zoey, the same look, and Rumi knows she’s going to die.
Mira leans closer, slowly, ever so slowly. Her face slowly fills Rumi’s vision until it’s all she can see, but she can still feel Zoey under her head, brushing her hand through her hair.
Mira pauses, her breath ghosting against Rumi’s lips making her tremble in anticipation.
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
Rumi jolts awake to her alarm clock, eyes blinking away the sight of Mira on top her. Shes alone in her bed in the apartment.
Rumi sits up, slapping the alarm clock to turn it off.
Her patterns pulse gently, a faint pink tint to them the only indication of the contents of her dream.
With a groan Rumi covers her face, flopping back onto the bed.
That’s the third dream this week. She might not survive a fourth.
——
So this would be around the year and a half mark after Rumi’s captivity at the hunters compound on jeju island. She moved in with Zoey and Mira when they officially became Huntrix, but the dreams were a very recent development.
I figured y’all would enjoy getting too see Rumi being a little flustered, even in this state of polytrix where they start the mutual pining.
How/when do zoemira realize solo artist rumi is the third hunter? I figure the horror and guilt just about gives them a heart attack at that point. Does she like, hum a little song to herself at some point and they see the glow?
Ooh what if they let slip the date around her (do they even realize the not knowing is also a way of torture) and she realizes she missed some important date or aniversary or song debut while kidnapped that she and bobby were looking forward to, and so she hums the song as quietly as possible when she's alone, and she stops when she hears them coming but she doesnt know that they can see the ripples that her voice was causing? Or something like that.
Hmmm…. I’ll say after the first month.
At this point in the timeline, they’ve already figured out that A. Rumi is half human and B. Shes Miyeongs kid. Celine has also already dragged Rumi along on a hunt to show her what full demons look like (during which Rumi almost died from a demon attacking her).
It’s while shes healing from that attack that she starts humming to herself. Keep in mind Rumi’s been stuck in this place, unable to keep track of the days, and being regularly tortured by Celine each night as a “proof of demon”. Her best defense (in her mind at least) was to remain silent.
So for the first three weeks, she didn’t really talk to the girls, let alone Celine, beyond trying to tell them that she’s not a demon and that she just wants to go home. (And snarking at them. She got petty after the torture stopped).
—
But after the fourth week, after that demon slashes her gut, she wakes up back in the office, (unchained this time, laying on the desk), but it’s just too much for her.
So she started humming. Just the beginnings of a song she’s written, the story of her life.
She watched as strange glowing lines, like waves in the oceans, started to flow across the ceiling around her. Something almost… familiar flowed into her from those waves, like the embrace of a mother she never knew.
Theres a warmth growing in her abdomen, the spot where she got slashed by those… monsters. It doesn’t hurt, though. It almost feels… peaceful. Her other wounds, ones left by Celine and the broken arm from Mira, become suffused with this beautiful waves.
(She doesn’t hear the sounds of something breaking outside the office.)
She does hear when the door slams open, cutting off her humming to sit up and see who came in.
Mira is standing in the doorway, her eyes wide and… scared?
Why would she be scared?
Zoey’s behind her, hands covering her mouth.
“…what? I’d think you of all people would be used to seeing me covered in blood, Zoey, so why the long face?” Maybe shes a little mean about it, but she doesn’t care in that moment.
Zoey turns away at the question, running down the hall. Mira’s still in the doorway, her own hand over her mouth as she stares at Rumi.
Rumi doesnt bother saying anything to Mira, she doesn’t want to talk to her. After several seconds of tense silence, Mira turns and walks away as well, closing the door behind her and locking it.
Rumi’s blood boils at that, the lack of any explanation or reaction beyond locking her back in the stupid office.
They already know shes human! They found her freaking birth certificate! Rumi jumps off the desk she was laying on, pacing angrily as she gestures wildly to match her thoughts. Honestly, it’s so stupid! Why are they…
They… something has changed.
The pain is almost completely gone. Rumi hesitates then, her mind taking a moment to switch gears. Something about the change feels… odd.
Hesitantly, afraid -though of what she doesn’t know- Rumi begins to unwrap the wound on her abdomen. Layer after layer falls away, blood soaked tape and gauze flopping onto the ground at her feet. She hesitates at the last layer before steeling herself.
Screwing her eyes shut, Rumi unwinds it quickly, listening as it falls to lie with the rest of it until theres none left on her.
Hesitantly, Rumi peeks with one eye. The other follows shortly after, both widening in shock as she takes in her bare stomach. Where previously there had been a three inch deep wound, from her left hip to the bottom of her right rib, sits a very thin red line.
It looks like a scratch. Just an average, plain, scratch from a branch or something.
Theres a beat, then two, as she takes it in.
“WHAT THE FU-“
—
Anyways, Zoey and Mira probably didnt talk about the date around Rumi. Partially because Mira avoids going into Rumi’s room, and partially because it’s something Celine banned.
(“If the demon knows what day it is, it might be able to plan its escape”)
As for their reaction to Rumi being their third, well…
—
The sound of retching is the first thing that greets Mira’s ears as she steps into Zoey’s room. She can’t find it in herself to be surprised. Zoey’s always had the weaker stomach of the two.
She feels strange. Disconnected from her body, like someone unplugged the connection between her mind and the limbs it’s supposed to control. Everything is muted, sounding like cotton is in her ears.
She moves on autopilot, gathering two blankets and two water bottles from the nightstand, before going into the bathroom. She needs to do something, anything, to help.
Zoey’s kneeling by the toilet, tears falling down her face freely. It isn’t until she sees that that Mira realizes her own cheeks are wet.
When did she start crying?
Zoey looked up at her then. Her expression is twisted in a horrible way, the same way it had been when they’d found a playground emptied by demons after arriving minutes too late. An expression of horror, sorrow, and defeat.
“Mir…” that’s all shes able to choke out before Mira drops, pulling her into a crushing hug.
Zoey squeezes back just as tightly, burying her face in her shoulder as sobs wrack her body. Mira’s not doing much better, barely holding back from the tears becoming desperate, heart wrenching sobs.
They stay like that for what might’ve been an eternity or a single minute.
Just long enough for something to change, an unequivocal truth of the universe finally realigning. The bond, the connection that’s supposed to be there for every Hunter, finally sliding into place.
And they cried that much harder as what they felt from Rumi was fear, despair, and rage.
Rumi is their Third.
And she hates them.
—
So… yea. They aren’t having the best time.
For y’all wondering why Rumi couldnt see the Honmoon/didnt have the hunters bond, that was Miyeong! She used an ancient ritual to sorta seal Rumi’s ability to see it or interact with it to keep her from both demons (her souls hidden from them during that time) and hunters.
The release conditions are A. Rumi receiving a mortal wound that only the Honmoon could save her from or B. The hunters are trying to kill her.
(B didnt happen because while they threatened to kill Rumi, they didn’t actually move to kill her, only threatening it.)
But yeah, Zomira are just having the worst day of their lives as they realize their third has been living with them for a month, was being tortured for half of that, and her first introduction to them was Mira breaking her arm and Zoey threatening to just straight up kill her.
Rumi is having a really bad time in the Soloartist!Rumi AU… sure would be a shame to make it worse in part 2, huh?
Time feels frozen for Rumi. The office they’re keeping her in doesn’t have any windows, and they’d left the lights on. Rumi isn’t sure how long she’s been here, or even where “here” is, but based off the soreness in her legs it’s been a while.
No one’s come to see her since Mira, and the anticipation of whatever they’re going to do to her has been slowly driving Rumi up the wall.
(Metaphorically, of course. The chain on her arm doesn’t have enough slack for her to stand up all the way.)
She’d tried breaking the chain for a while, and when that failed she tried the floor the chain was attached to, but she had had no luck. Nothing was in reach for her to use, so she’d ultimately given up hope of breaking the chain.
For a brief, desperate moment, Rumi considered breaking her arm to get it out of the chain. Her already broken arm, still throbbing in pain under the bandages, convinced her that would be a poor plan.
Bobby must have noticed shes missing by now, right? They have plans for this, and if she’s lucky her captors didn’t think to break her phone. Bobby likely already sent the security team out for her, so there’s nothing to worry about!
…right?
The door rattles gently as something bumps it, drawing Rumi from her thoughts. Pulling her knees to her chest, Rumi does her best not to look at the door. If they’re going to hurt her again, she won’t give them the satisfaction of her tears.
Footsteps slowly make their way in, making Rumi tense as she does her best to ignore the prickling at the base of her neck, the one that tells her someones watching. The silence stretches, neither Rumi nor her captor saying anything or moving.
The sudden sound of knocking startles Rumi, making her flinch and instinctively look towards it. The older woman from before -what was her name, something like Celing?- is standing just inside the doorway, but she’s not the one who knocked.
Behind her, and now making way past the older woman, is Zoey. Shes holding a tray with some Gyeran bap, from what Rumi can tell. She’s balancing it with one hand since the other has a cup of water.
Rumi doesnt uncurl or look away as the dark haired woman approaches, doing her best to keep her body from trembling as she gets closer.
“Hi! So, it occurred to me that you probably didn’t get to eat dinner last night, and then I started wondering what food you can eat if you don’t eat souls so I asked Celine.” She gestured with the tray behind her. “But she didn’t know either so I just made some good ol rice’n’eggs!”
Dinner last night?
Rumi feels something cold run down her spine at those words. How long has she been here for? Bobby should’ve bee able to find her by now if it’s been over 8 hours. She started running from the two women at about 9 in the morning yesterday, but theres no telling what time it is now. Which probably means wherever they are, they’re beyond his reach.
Rumi shivers then, fear lacing through her heart.
The tray lands on the floor in front of her, clattering for a moment and making her flinch back in surprise.
“Sorry! Sorry, it slipped.” Rumi looks up at Zoey, noting the look of chagrin on her face as she sits down facing Rumi. The water is placed next to the tray, and then Zoey leans back to look at her.
Silence settles over the two of them, steam from the food slowly curling in the air between them. Rumi doesnt move, watching as Zoey settles across from her. She shifts after a few seconds, adjusting her position, before settling again.
Zoey watches her, waiting for something, though what Rumi doesn’t know. After about a minute of this odd standoff, during which Zoey kept restlessly shifting, she leaned forwards, eyes intent on Rumi.
“What exactly are you? Are you some kind of new demon?” Her voice doesn’t hold any malice, as if shes genuinely curious what Rumi is.
She remains silent, confusion and fear mixing and making her heart race. These people seem to have an odd fixation on her being a demon, maybe their cult members?
Or maybe it’s her birthmarks.
For what feels like the hundredth time this week, Rumi curses whatever god saw fit to inflict her with them. The jagged purple lines run across her whole body, have for as long as she could remember.
Zoey kept waiting, watching intently. Rumi remains silent. Finally, she sat back on her heels, pouting at Rumi’s silence. In a different circumstance Rumi might’ve found it cute, but right now all she can see is a threat that isn’t happy with her.
Turning partially, Zoey addressed the older woman in the room, reminding Rumi that they weren’t alone.
“Celine, demons can’t bleed right? Maybe shes not any type of demon. Is that a thing?”
Celine stepped forwards then, sharp eyes intent on Rumi as she shrinks a little more into herself. With two short strides shes standing next to Zoey, staring down at Rumi with an unreadable expression.
“No, demons usually cannot bleed. It’s something new. Now, Zoey, can you leave us for a moment? I need to have a private word with her.” Celine says, her eyes not moving from Rumi once.
Zoey hesitates for a moment, glancing at Rumi then back to Celine. It’s clear she wanted to know more about whatever Celine’s talking about, but she wont get any info about it yet. Slowly, she stood and started to make her way out of the room.
A powerful desire for Zoey to stay suddenly gripped Rumi, making her almost, almost, call out to her to stay. But she stayed quiet, staying put and refusing to move aside from her eyes. The door shut behind Zoey with a quiet click.
Rumi turns her eyes back to Celine, meeting them. The two regard one another for a moment, waiting to see who breaks first.
Celine doesnt move for several seconds, simply watching Rumi. Finally, she walks over to the desk, grabbing a chair and pulling it over next to Rumi.
Rumi leans back against the wall, as far as she can manage from this strange woman. Celine sits in the chair, leaning forwards on her knees to stare more closely at Rumi. The food and water remain untouched.
“You didn’t answer Zoey’s question. What are you?” Her voice is calm, controlled in a way that makes Rumi nervous. It’s the same kind of voice shes heard in meetings with executives, presenting her with a contract that’s impossibly unfair to her yet still expect her to sign.
Rumi just glares, staying huddled on the floor. Celine waits for a heartbeat, clearly expecting Rumi to say something, but she doesn’t.
With a small sigh, Celine reaches to the right, palm open. Rumi watches in apprehension, eyes tracking the movement closely.
She can’t help the small gasp of shock that escapes her when Celine closes her hand around thin air and pulls a sword out of it. She follows the blade as it slowly moves until it’s right in front of her.
“Beautiful, isnt it?” Celine says, a small smile on her face. “Gifted by the Honmoon to hunters to help protect the world from demons. A funny thing about them is they can’t actually hurt humans, did you know that?”
Rumi shakes her head minutely. Shes not entirely sure where Celine’s going with this, or why she’s showing Rumi some kind of magic trick.
“Yes, they can only wound or kill demons. So if, for example, I do this,” Celine lifted the blade, then brought it down sharply on her own wrist. Rumi squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, but at the lack of pained sounds she opened them. Celine’s wrist looks unharmed, the blade now on the other side of it. “Then I barely feel a thing.”
Celine’s eyes turn on Rumi, something cold in them. It makes Rumi shiver slightly, drawing back against the wall.
“But if I were to stab a demon with it, it would very likely kill them outright. So…” she leaned forwards then, blade slowly moving until the tip is pointed at Rumi’s chest. “You can either tell me what you are, or I test this on you. Your choice, Demon.”
Rumi can’t take her eyes off the sword. Whatever it is, it probably couldnt hurt her, right? This has to be some kind of trick, some kind of fancy sword that somehow can’t cut people. But Celine had said it kills demons, right? What exactly does she mean? Mira had asked her if she was a demon, Zoey had asked if she was a new demon, and Celine was asking what she was overall.
Are these people pulling some kind of sick prank on her?
The sword slowly moved then, pressing into Rumi’s shoulder. The point pricked her skin slightly, a small pin of pain that drew her attention back to Celine.
“Last chance, demon. Tell me, or I push. What. Are. You.” Each sentence is punctuated with her moving the blade a little further, forcing Rumi’s shoulder back until it’s flush with the wall.
Her mind is racing now, trying to figure out what to say. If she says shes a demon, this woman would probably kill her, right? That’s what she said the sword was for, killing demons, so if this is a cult then if she said shes human she would probably be fine.
Right?
“I’m…” Celine’s eyes widen at that, a hint of surprise slipping through before she closes off her expression. “…I’m a human. I swear, I-“
The blade moves faster than her words, embedding into the wall behind her shoulder by going through it. Rumi’s hand leaps up to the blade, a ragged gasp of pain ripping from her lungs. Celine watches impassively as Rumi tries to pull it out, too weak from the pain to properly pull.
“Oh, look at that. Guess you’re a demon.” She yanked the blade out, making Rumi gasp in pain again, her hand pressing against the bleeding hole. “I don’t know what Gwi-ma was thinking sending you, or what his plan is, but if this is the best you can do then I’m not scared.”
Rumi doesnt hear her words, her pulse thudding in her ears as she presses against the wound. Tears are falling down her face already, hot and quiet. She won’t give this woman any indication that she could make Rumi make another sound.
Celine is by the door when Rumi finally manages to look up. Shes watching Rumi, her expression unreadable as she opens it. “If you want to prolong your suffering before we send you back to your master, then by all means stay quiet. But every day I’ll come down here to remind you that we know what you are.”
With that ominous warning she closes the door behind her, leaving Rumi clutching her shoulder. She waits a few moments more, just to be sure Celine is gone, before letting the sobs out.
———
Zoey’s eyes widen as Celine exits, her “idol face” on as she closes the door behind her. Zoey opens her mouth, wanting to ask questions, but Celine just raises her hand to stop her. Without saying a word, Celine turned and stalked to the closet, opening it and pulling out the med kit.
She tosses it to Zoey before turning and walking away, back straight, still not saying a word. Zoey’s left confused, holding the medkit outside the office.
A muffled sob draws Zoey’s attention to the door. Looking down at the medkit, Zoey feels her eyes widen in realization. Without preamble, Zoey yanks open the door.
The girls sitting against the wall, a hand over her shoulder. As the door slammed open, she flinched hard, turning away from the door. It takes a moment before Zoey notices what’s on her shoulder.
Blood. Fresh blood.
Oh, Zoey’s gonna scream at Celine.
But right now?
Right now she needs to stop the bleeding.
——
So… yeah. Celine in this version didnt raise Rumi, didnt have anyone to help give her hope about anything. So shes a lot less forgiving, and a lot less trustful.
And maybe a little more cruel. But only to demons.
Rumi stops beside the tree, gasping for breath as she leans on it. The cool night air helps a little, the feverish skin on her face flushed from the excertion. Her limbs are trembling, the wounds of the last few days and her exhaustion compounding, but she can’t let herself stop here.
Pushing off the gnarled wood, Rumi continues as quickly as she can manage. Her leg throbs in pain, as does her shoulder and arms. Celine hadn’t been kidding when she said she’d visit Rumi every day.
Or at least, Rumi assumes she wasn’t kidding. Theirs no good way to track the time in a sealed room where the lights are always on.
The arm that was broken by Mira lets out a painful twinge, making Rumi stumble for a moment as she gasped in pain.
The sky is slowly brightening when she spots a road, a sign that shes running out of time. If those women wake up before she can get to civilization (or at least a house with a phone) she very well may die.
As she starts moving towards the road, something… shifts her attention. If you asked her in that moment what it was, she wouldn’t be able to tell you. Some people call it a sixth sense, others psychic ability, and even more people just call it luck.
Whatever it is, Rumi trusts it and lunges to the side, hiding behind a tree. She almost holds her breath, but reconsiders at the last moment and forces herself to breath evenly. She knows thanks to the ninja documentaries Bobbie’s obsessed with that holding it would give her away.
She stays there, trembling, exhausted, and scared for what feels like an eternity but could only be a few minutes.
She almost came out before she heard the voice.
“Damn. I know she came this way, so where…”
Celine.
Rumi can feel her heartbeat racing, adrenaline sharpening her senses as she considers what to do. The voice was way too close, maybe a dozen feet away or so, so running isnt an option.
Crunch
The sound of leaves being crushed behind her makes her freeze. It was closer than the voice.
Snap
A branch breaking, even closer.
Nonononono-
“I know you’re there… if you come out now, I promise not to kill you.”
The voice is close, way too close, it’s almost directly behind her tree. Unconsciously, Rumi holds her breath. She screws her eyes shut, imagining the small house she and Bobby live in with its soft brown walls and comfortable chairs. She just needs to escape, to get away, and she can go home.
The seconds stretch, feeling like hours rather than moments. Finally, a frustrated sigh comes from behind Rumi.
“Damnit!” She can hear Celine hitting something. She doesn’t dare look. “I’ll find it. We still need answers.”
It sounds almost like shes… talking to someone.
Rumi doesnt look. She knows how that age old adage goes; curiosity killed the cat.
In this moment? Rumi will be the smarter cat, and curiosity will just stay that.
Curious.
The footsteps begin to recede, and she can hear Celine muttering to herself as she leaves. With a muffled exhale, Rumi greedily drew in air.
The footsteps stop.
Rumi stops breathing.
Crack
It’s from above her.
Rumi doesnt want to look, but her eyes crane up anyways. Celine is crouched on a tree branch, looking down with something almost like… pity in her eyes.
“So close, demon, yet you couldnt hold your breath for long enough. Almost a shame.” She stood then, eyes turning sharp as her mouth curled into a cruel smile. “Almost.”
Theres a blur, and then Rumi doesnt see anything after that.
She isn’t sure how long it’s been when she wakes up. Her whole body aches, but the most prominent spots are the back of her head and her arm. Trying to move proves a very poor idea, drawing a pitiful moan from Rumi.
“Oh good, you’re awake.”
Rumi cracks open one eye. She sees Celine, sitting impassively with a now closed book in her lap.
“Wasn’t sure you would be up this soon. I know demons heal fast, but I know I hit quite hard.” She chuckles like it’s… like it’s some kind of inside joke.
Rumi bristles at that, but the pain makes it hard to concentrate.
“Now. For trying to escape… I know!” Celine clapped her hands together, making Rumi flinch. “Your legs are gonna be handcuffed together, as will your hands! You can’t run without them!”
The false mirth drips from Celine like a tap. Slowly, methodically, and inevitably. Her expression turns hard, impassible like the face of a cliff.
“If you ever try a stunt like that again, attacking ine my hunters, I will kill you. No if’s, ands, or butts. The only reason you’re alive is because Zoey’s too kind. She asked me to let you live when she woke up.” Celine scoffs, like the idea is ludicrous.
“I know what you are, demon. You’re a liar. A manipulator. A heartless monster. Zoey’s been fooled by you, Mira believes you can actually feel pain like we do, but I know better.” Standing now, Celine takes a single, threatening step forwards. She feels large to Rumi, far larger than she should be. “You will not leave this place with your life, and if you try again I will prove just how true those words are.”
Turning, the older woman strides out of the room, slamming the door shut without even a backwards glance.
The lock clicks into place.
Then a second.
Finally, a third clicks into place.
Rumi finally starts sobbing.
——
So yeah, heres part three of solo!Rumi AU! I plan on using some of the snippets ive written in the fic, but it won’t be ready for a long while. For now? Enjoy a peak at how the first few chapters will be!
It heals wrong like the arm would but maybe in a bit worse condition. Maybe Rumi has a bit of a limit to how much she can move around until it starts hurting.
So once it gets established that Rumi is the third hunter, Mira has to deal with the fact that she hurt her in such a way that it will always be harder for Rumi dance to the level expected of an idle, to fight demons with the effectiveness needed of a hunter to survive.
Ohhhh… Anon you are evil.
I love it!
Yeah Mira would feel especially bad because she worked with a girl who’d been in a car crash a few years ago in her dance class, one who’d broken several bones including her arm and leg.
Only difference is that girl got proper medical treatment and healed fine. But not Rumi. No, Rumi’s splint got removed by Celine, because “a demon pretending to be hurt should commit to the bit, right?”
Mira would have to choreograph every dance carefully, because Rumi can’t be jumping around, or dancing vigorously like she should be.
And the hunts, oh the hunts!
Mira starts taking hits for Rumi. Rumi knows she is, but she just can’t move fast enough to stop Mira and dodge the demons, because she could dodge them but Mira doesnt know. Because Mira, in a misguided understanding of Rumi’s physical state, thinks she can’t pivot or move on her leg very well.
(Shes still able to move fairly well! It’s just that it hurts if she’s on it too long or when someone accidentally hits it.)
Mira would be getting blended way worse, and then Zoey would see this and start taking hits too because she needs to keep Mira safe please dont let her lose Mira.
I imagine Rumi would end up holding an intervention, as well as an impromptu sparring match where she whoops Mira and Zoey respectfully.
(Their injured and walking with limps, Rumi isnt afraid to hit them while their down lol.)
So yeah, everyone’s having a slightly worse time.
Rumi would need a cane for colder days, and to rest more on hot ones.
Hmm… so, Celine has a bit of denial about Soloartist!Rumi being Miyeongs kid.
Celine sat stock still, not letting anything show on her face. Shes had nearly 20 years of practice, and she isnt going to let it show now.
“I need you to double check those results.” Celine kept her voice level, cold, calm. Everything she wasn’t in that moment.
The genealogist across from her shifted uncomfortably, his white lab coat stretching across his large belly.
“Miss Celine, I’ve had these results verified by three of my colleagues already. The dna sample you brought us… it matches miss Miyeong.”
She almost flinches at that name. Almost.
“Then have another three check, because that’s impossible. Mi-“ she cuts herself off before she says her name. “She didn’t have any kids. I would’ve known about it if she had.”
The unspoken part about it being a demon lurks, unsaid and unknown by the nervous man across from her.
“I… very well. It will take some time to find people who can be subtle about this, give me a week or so. I’ll contact you once the results come in.”
Celine nodded once, sharply, ending the conversation. “Good.”
Without preamble or farewells, she stood and left the office. Stalking down the white hallways, Celine kept her face neutral, her body language closed off as she exits the building. The cold air rushes over her, the chill helping for a moment to calm her mind.
She wouldn’t ever sleep with a demon, much less have a kid. There would’ve been signs or hints, I would’ve seen it!
Celine unlocked her car, stepping inside and slamming the door with more force than necessary. Taking a moment, Celine takes a deep breath. The genealogist will probably contact her over the next few days, tell her his results were wrong and actually tell her who that demons parents were.
As she starts to pull away, her mind lingers on the demon, on the oddity it was. It’d been a simple matter to get a blood sample since the demon was bleeding profusely from her snapped limb when Mira and Zoey brought her in.
It intrigued her at the time, in a detached sort of way, that theres a type of demon that can bleed. She ended up going to the genealogist on a whim, one shes had past dealings with and knew could be subtle.
Her grip tightened slightly as she recalled the email, telling her that she should come in person for the news. It irked her that she’d come in for something as useless as a false positive.
The drive to the compound slowly helps, her mind snapping back into its proper thoughts as she approaches the gate. Shes already thinking of how to get another blood sample, she’ll send it to another genealogist for a second opinion.
Parking in the garage, Celine takes a second to breathe. Theres no way the demon is related to her. The thought doesnt give her as much comfort as she’d hoped it would.
Once shes made her way inside, Celine gathers what she’ll need. A butterfly needle and tube, along with a bag to hold the blood. Reaching the door of her office, the current holding place of the demon, she hesitates.
But that hesitation only lasts for a moment.
Unlocking the padlock and setting it aside, Celine steps into the room. The demon is huddled in the corner, just like every time Celine has come in before.
“Come here. I need a blood sample.”
The demon just glares, eyes narrowing in an almost petulant way. Celine bristles internally, but doesnt let it show. She won’t let this demon know it’s getting to her.
With a sigh, Celine stalks inside, moving purposefully and quickly. The demons eyes widen, and it starts to tremble in what Celine might’ve called fear if not for the fact that she knows demons can’t feel fear.
She grabs its arm, yanking and drawing a pained gasp from the Demon. It takes a moment for Celine to notice why. Without meaning to, she’d grabbed the demons broken arm.
An odd, tiny feeing of guilt starts to rise in Celine, but she crushes it immediately. This is a demon, and just because it can bleed does not mean anything. It’s just another way Gwi-ma is trying to trick them.
Celine nods. She has to believe that, it’s the only thing that would make sense.
She ignores the quiet gasps of pain the demon makes as she stabs its arm with the needle, drawing out enough blood to fill the vial. Once shes done, she lets go and watches as the demon curls around its arm, back in the corner now.
Celine hesitates again, though shes not sure why. It had almost looked like the demon was…
Crying.
Celine shook her head, clearing it as best she can. Demons usually can’t cry, but clearly this one is special if it can both bleed and cry. Maybe keeping it alive is a good idea, she might gleam some information about the new type of demons.
She doesn’t let herself think about the possibility that this is Miyeong’s daughter.
Leaving with quick steps, Celine closes and locks the door. A quiet sob slips under it as she does so, and that stupid sense of guilt flickers in Celine again. She can’t seem to squash it this time, so she decides to ignore it and get to work finding another place to test the blood.
As she turns around, she sees Zoey standing behind her, her eyebrows pinched in concern. Shes holding a laptop in her arms, as well as a stuffed turtle.
“Celine, why is she crying again?” Zoey’s voice is timid, something Celine is trying to break the girl of.
A Hunter should never be timid, and a Hunter should never waver.
“I needed another blood sample. It decided to pretend to cry to try and stop me.” Celine nodded once to Zoey before turning and walking down the corridor.
She’ll find out the truth about this demons blood, and when she does she’ll know that she was right. Miyeong would never have betrayed them like this.
Yet, that tiny voice in the back of her head, the one shes never quite been able to get rid of since her hunters died, keeps whispering.
You’re hurting her daughter, you know.
You deserve to be alone.
If this is how you would have treated your own daughter with them, it’s good they couldn’t see it.
Celine does what she does best, as she sits at her computer. She puts her head down, ignores her doubts and fears, and gets to work.
What would've happened if Celine accidentally killed Rumi during a torture session? She sees the Honmoon reacting, trying to heal the demon, and assumes it's calling for backup so she kills it, how would the girls react?
Ooh, ok so in this AU the Honmoon would try to protect her, but if it connected too slowly or if Celine was too singlemindedly focused on hurting her to notice, then theres a dead body in the office now.
Celine waits for it to vanish.
And waits.
And… waits.
Zoey comes in. It’s been a while, and usually by now Celine would come out so she can patch her up.
She throws up when she sees the corpse. Shes seen blood, and injuries, and belongings of people whos souls were eaten.
This is the first body she sees.
——
The underworld gets a new demon. Confused, scared, alone.
A tiger and a bird greet her. They take her out to the world, but she’s changed now. Her form is demonic.
They take her to an unassuming bar she recognizes.
Jinu takes her inside.
—
This would be a very, VERY, extreme version of the main solo!Rumi AU. Her body would dissolve, really really slowly, but the spilled blood would stay.
Her connection to the Honmoon would alert the hunters about their third, and they would try to find her. Jinu would greet them with Derpy and Sussy. He already would have the full story from Rumi.
After a long fight, Rumi stumbles downstairs. Her patterns have spread, new demonic features, but Zoey still recognizes the face of the corpse. So does Celine.
And of course, they recognize the sword she uses to save Jinu’s life.
So.. yeah. Everyone’s having a really bad time in this version, Mira is just kinda shivering like an anxious dog because of her part in all this.
Polytrix would still happen, but it would take four to five years instead, and Rumi would full stop any attempts Celine makes to get ti know her.
If she’d wanted to know her, she should’ve asked her corpse for answers.
In the soloartist-Rumi Au, Celine is pretty much torturing Rumi, how do Mira and Zoey react to that? When Celine confirms Rumi is Mi-yeong's daughter, what does she do? Does she feel guilty? Would Celine have to train Rumi after they find out she's the third hunter? How do they react to that fact? Does Bobby eventually find Rumi?
I've got SO many ideas and questions about this Au
Alright quick rundown:
Mira and Zoey are absolutely pissed. The torture thing happens for about two weeks before Zomira end up stopping her. They couldn’t stand seeing something that looks so human be hurt in that way. They even almost resort to physical violence to stop her, but ultimately Celine acquiesced and agreed to stop for the time being.
(Rumi is distrustful of everything and everyone right now, and it is going to be a very long journey before she even starts to consider any of them as anything more then “my captors”, even after her release.)
Ohhhh man Celine has a VERY bad time. She ends up coming to the realization that A: this kid is basically her niece who she tortured, B: Shes the third Hunter shes been searching for and C: shes been calling her a demon who is only alive thanks to Zomira’s mercy.
Yes, she feels guilty, and she has no idea how to ever earn Rumi’s forgiveness. (Is it possible? Is it not? That is entirely up to Rumi.) She ends up dragging Rumi along on a hunt in a desperate attempt to prove that what she was doing was in some way not horrifically cruel.
Rumi wouldn’t really understand all she knows is theres monsters that have her birth marks, and now she’s having an existential crises because if monsters have them, then maybe Celine is right about me.
She would need to train Rumi, yeah. Rumi would only agree to the training under three conditions. First; she can never be alone with Celine. Whether it’s Mira or Zoey or Bobby, she can never be alone with her. Second; the training has to take place in the city, not the compound where they had held her. Third; Bobby gets to know everything, including the kidnapping and torturing bits.
(Fear the wrath of a kind man, and Bobby is the kindest.)
Mira and Zoey are completely wrecked at the realization Rumi’s their third. They don’t find that fact out until like right after the Miyeong’s daughter reveal, because Miyeong “hid” Rumi from the Honmoon to keep her safe from the hunters via some kind of hunters ritual. The ritual’s conditions for reconnecting Rumi is for the hunters to discover shes Miyeongs daughter, or for Rumi to be mortally wounded.
The mortally wounded bit is so the Honmoon would save her life.
Bobby does! He actually manages to track her down after about a month and a half (Rumi is recovering during the half month from torture and the sudden reconnection to the Honmoon). He pulls up solo because once he realized Celine, CEO of sunlight entertainments is behind the kidnapping, he figured he needed to play it safe.
So he snuck in and got immediately caught by Zoey, who after a quick conversation brings him to Rumi.
Que Celine getting punched in the face by Bobby.
Twice.
Feel free to keep asking or sharing your own ideas! I’m having a blast answering them, and always love to see other folks interpretations or ideas for my au’s!
